GreenVolts, Inc., Fremont, Calif., a provider of fully integrated solar systems, recently announced a strategic partnership with Independent Solar Developers (ISD), Coachella, Calif., a turnkey solar system developer, owner and operator that specializes in providing solar energy solutions for Southern California agricultural applications.
Founded in 2005, GreenVolts Inc. provides a complete and fully integrated photovoltaic (PV) system, including modules, trackers, inverters, ISIS energy management software, networking, AC and DC disconnects and all DC wiring. The company provides support from early planning and continuing over the life of PV projects. A GreenVolts press release said using solar energy for agriculture is a large and untapped opportunity, and that in California alone agricultural businesses require over 2,000 MW of capacity and use more than 10 TWh annually. These businesses have plenty of land and sun, ideal for solar energy, and are very interested in lowering their cost of electricity, which can exceed 20 percent of production costs.
GreenVolts and ISD have worked closely together to develop a solution that provides long-term, economical electricity supply along with a unique set of land use, project planning, installation and operational benefits tailored to this market. ISD can also provide financing, thereby overcoming the primary barrier for most projects. With their first project installed and operating successfully and others in progress, they are delivering tailored solutions for irrigation, cattle, food processing and other agricultural applications.
GreenVolts offers a modular design for its concentrating photovoltaic (CPV) systems that can be configured for distributed loads such as irrigation pumps located on different parcels of land, or scaled up to meet higher demand, such as refrigeration in the processing of vegetables. ISIS, the energy management software included with the system, allows remote monitoring and management of all the systems from anywhere on the Internet.
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