by Shane Henson — April 4, 2012—Enphase Energy, Inc., recently announced the installation of its Microinverter System on a 346-kilowatt solar array located in the town of Brewster, Massachusetts. Constructed by My Generation Energy, a privately held Brewster, Massachusetts-based company that provides extensive professional solar photovoltaic (PV) development and installation services, the system combines the output of 1,440 Enphase M215 microinverters paired with Sharp 240-watt solar modules, generating over 450 kWh of energy annually, or enough to power 50 homes and businesses.
This innovative and impressive solar array was created for the Brewster Community Solar Garden Cooperative, which provides local residents and businesses restricted from installing solar on their own properties the opportunity to benefit from solar energy by joining the cooperative. To manage this commercial site, My Generation Energy uses Enphase Enlighten, a Web-based system that provides detailed monitoring, alerts and analysis and also generates reports on Enphase systems. This allows for identifying and troubleshooting site issues remotely, which saves on physical site visits. It also streamlines commercial site management, allowing integrators to track performance and system health.
“Our partners continue to find innovative ways to advance solar energy adoption at both the residential and commercial level, and the Brewster Community Solar Garden project is one of the most unique we’ve seen so far,” said Bill Rossi, CMO of Enphase Energy.
Community solar projects are gaining momentum as state congressional bills in Colorado, California (SB843) and Maryland (SB595) are proposed or approved, says Enphase Energy. John Farrell, a senior researcher at the Institute for Local Self Reliance, wrote last September, “Community solar power can offer unique benefits in the expansion of solar power, from greater participation and ownership of solar to a greater dispersion of the economic benefits of harnessing the sun’s energy.”
