SMA Inverters Chosen for 475kW Demonstration System at Senior Housing Community

ROCKLIN, Calif., March 29, 2011Due to its success since coming online last summer, the nearly 500kW photovoltaic system at the Vintage Oaks senior affordable housing community in Citrus Heights, Calif., has become a demonstration system for other properties by developer USA Properties Fund, Inc. Based on their quality and reliability, 98 Sunny Boy inverters from SMA America were chosen to convert the direct current (DC) collected by the solar panels into alternating current (AC) electricity for use throughout the neighborhood."Because of the number of buildings and different roof orientations at Vintage Oaks, we chose the versatile Sunny Boy line of inverters," said Curt Wylie, solar department manager for Beutler. "SMA inverters are the best on the market and, due to their exceptional reliability, they represent the least amount of risk to Beutler and our customers."Designed by Beutler Corp., the rooftop and carport solar system consists of 2,640 solar modules and SMA Sunny Boy 3000-US (3), 4000-US (8), 5000-US (36), 6000-US (47) and 7000-US (4) inverters.

To maximize the community’s shade-free area, the solar system covers the rooftops of 16 buildings and 17 carports. It is expected to produce 728,941 kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity per year and will offset the power needs of the community’s 241 apartments by 86 percent. It also will reduce green house emissions by 11,907 tons of CO2.

“Because of the number of buildings and different roof orientations at Vintage Oaks, we chose the versatile Sunny Boy line of inverters,” said Curt Wylie, solar department manager for Beutler. “SMA inverters are the best on the market and, due to their exceptional reliability, they represent the least amount of risk to Beutler and our customers.”