Earlier this month at the PV America Expo, Bright Power gladly accepted the Solar Project of Distinction award on behalf of Liberty Village and the 127.5kW solar installation to which it is home, along with 60 veterans and their families for whom it provides clean, affordable power.
The Liberty Village residential complex is located on the grounds of the former North Amityville Armed Forces Reserve Center and was developed by Concern for Independent Living through the Base Closure Community Redevelopment and Homelessness Act of 1994. Today, Liberty Village provides affordable housing to 60 veterans and their families, most of whom come from homelessness. With the goal of preserving affordability, we partnered with Concern for Independent Living to implement a solar installation that is projected to save more than $800,000 over its 25-year lifetime.
Bright Power worked closely with the architect and general contractor throughout a 2-year design and build cycle. The townhouse-style design of the complex, with multiple roof elevations and orientations, proved to be challenging. Bright Power deployed microinverters which maximize production across various directions (East, West and South), and provide performance tracking down to a per-panel basis. With the aid of 3D computer modeling, the panels were arranged to avoid shading from the various roof elevations and flow with the architect’s aesthetic vision.
This solar array is structurally attached to trusses that hold the roofs together, posing unique challenges in the design process. To avoid creating a wind sail effect that would impose an unsupported load on the roof, Bright Power provided structural recommendations to strengthen the trusses to the point of being able to withstand hurricane-level winds.
Most importantly, this installation is built to last, keeping affordable housing affordable for many years to come.
Leyna O’Neill