Page 155 - Solar Power in Building Design The Engineer's Complete Design Resource

COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS 125

TCA ARSHAG DICKRANIAN ARMENIAN SCHOOL PROJECT

Location Hollywood, California
Electrical engineer consultant Vector Delta Design Group, Inc., 2325 Bonita
Dr., Glendale, CA 91208

Solar power contractor Grant Electric, 16461 Sherman Way, Van Nuys, CA 91406

Project design criteria The project described here is a 70-kW roof-mount solar
power cogeneration system, which was completed in 2004. The design and estimating
procedures of this project are similar to that of the residence in Palm Springs.
Diagrams and pictures of this project are shown in Figures 5.5 through 5.11.
In order to establish the requirements of a solar power system, the design engineer
must determine the commercial power demand calculations based on the NEC design
guidelines. Power demand calculations for this project were calculated to be about
280 kWh. The solar power installed represents about 25 percent of the total demand
load. Since the school is closed during summer, credited energy accumulated for
3 months is expected to augment the overall solar power cogeneration contribution to
about 70 percent of the overall demand.
This project was commissioned in March 2005 and has been operating at optimum
capacity, providing a substantial amount of the lighting and power requirements of the
school. Fifty percent of the installed cost of the overall project was paid by CEC rebate

Figure 5.5 Roof-mount solar power system, Arshag Dickranian
School, Hollywood, California. Photo courtesy of Vector Delta Design Group, Inc.