AEG Power Solutions Completes 40 kW Solar System on NC State University’s FREEDM Systems Center

Photovoltaic System to Serve as Testing Lab for Decentralized Grid

DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--AEG Power Solutions (AEG PS), North America’s premier provider of turn-key solar solutions for commercial buildings, has completed the rooftop solar installation for North Carolina State University’s FREEDM Systems Center. Designed for the newly-built Keystone Science Center in the university’s Centennial Campus, the solar system will provide energy to the 15,000 square-foot headquarters of the Future Renewable Electric Energy Delivery and Management (FREEDM) Systems Center. In addition to supplementing the FREEDM Systems Center’s energy usage, the solar system will be one of the new technologies to demonstrate how distributed renewable energy resources can be tied to the grid while reducing energy costs for customers. FREEDM Systems Center research scientists, in partnership with AEG PS engineers, will be able to study these new technologies to transform centralized generation of energy into a distributed network containing ‘switchable’ renewable energy sources and grid intelligence. As a full industry partner with the FREEDM Systems Center, AEG PS will share and benefit from the center’s applied research.

“Decentralizing the grid is a major undertaking and strategic market opportunity for AEG. The work being done at the FREEDM Systems Center will have a significant impact on how renewable energy sources can be used and managed in the future”

“Decentralizing the grid is a major undertaking and strategic market opportunity for AEG. The work being done at the FREEDM Systems Center will have a significant impact on how renewable energy sources can be used and managed in the future,” said Robert Huljak, chief strategic officer of AEG PS. “At AEG PS, we are excited and proud knowing our contribution and effort will go towards finding new ways to utilize clean, renewable energy resources. This is an amazing opportunity for everyone involved as well as the rest of the world that will benefit from the learning, experience and information gained by this research.”

Due to the high quality membrane roof installed on the newly-constructed Keystone Science Center and the need to preserve the warranty, AEG PS designed a non-penetrating installation to minimize the impact to the roof. AEG PS and North Carolina State University worked hand-in-hand on the project with the building construction team and were able to incorporate many features and components into the overall design of the building. As a result, many parts of the solar system, such as the conduit, are integrated into the Keystone Science Center’s structure and tie directly into the FREEDM Systems Center’s labs. This not only helps minimize the installation’s impact on the building aesthetics, but enables structural advantages for expanding the system or changing its configurations in the future.

The 40 kW, ballasted rooftop solar system, which took three weeks to install, is forecasted to generate around 52,000 kWh of energy, annually, for the building. The entire solar system consists of 186 photovoltaic (PV) modules and four solar inverters. The solar inverters transition the direct current (DC) to alternating current (AC) for immediate use throughout the building and for specific research projects. In addition, the installation incorporates a monitoring system to feed real-time energy generation data to the FREEDM Systems Center engineers and AEG PS engineers. The system has a life expectancy of roughly 25 years. In accordance with North Carolina codes, the tilted, non-affixed panels are wind-rated for up to 95 miles per hour (mph).

“When AEG PS first approached us about partnering together to install a reference site on one of our buildings we were intrigued. At the FREEDM Systems Center, we’re committed to revolutionizing the grid with distributed renewable energy and AEG PS clearly demonstrated that they shared the same belief and commitment,” said Ewan Pritchard, NSF FREEDM Systems Center director of industry, collaboration, and innovation at NC State University. “AEG PS is a company with more than 100 years of experience in paving the way for new power solutions across the globe and to have them partner with us is a great opportunity for us, the future of the FREEDM Systems Center and the future of solar technology.”

AEG PS implements and supports turn-key solar systems that enable places such as commercial buildings and industrial parks to utilize clean, renewable energy. Its solar systems feature solar panels, solar inverters, monitoring, diagnostics and communications equipment, all of which can be supported by smart-grid-enabled standards and can be monitored and maintained by AEG PS. Renewable energy solutions and distributed grid intelligence are new strategic focus areas for AEG PS’s North American operations. As a Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA) and Green Grid member, AEG PS is dedicated to providing its customers with renewable energy alternatives, such as solar, which will decrease environmental impact as well as reduce energy costs. With energy conservation and other green practices emerging as a critical part of day-to-day operations, AEG PS helps educate companies on the promise of renewable energy systems and leads them toward a greener tomorrow.

For additional information please visit http://www.aegps.com/solar.

About AEG Power Solutions

AEG Power Solutions is a world provider of premium power electronics. It offers one of the world’s most comprehensive product and service portfolios in power conversion and control, for customers spanning the infrastructure markets of energy, telecom, lighting, transportation and general industrial sectors. System solutions from AEG PS are designed to interface with the electrical power grid and to offer power solutions for mission-critical applications in harsh environments, such as power plants, offshore oil rigs, chemical refineries, and utility-scale renewable energy plants. The company has developed a full range of products for the solar energy industry, from solar inverters to turnkey solutions and is investing in solutions that will enable distributed power generation and smart micro-grids.

Renowned for engineering excellence, the company’s customers benefit from over a century of expertise and field proven products under the AEG PS, Harmer & Simmons, and Saft Power Systems brands.

Headquartered near Amsterdam, AEG PS generated revenue of €400 million in 2009 with more than 1,500 employees around the world.

AEG Power Solutions became a public company in 2009 following a business combination with 3W Power Holdings Ltd. (formerly Germany1 Acquisition Ltd). Shares in the combined company are listed on Euronext Amsterdam (ticker: 3WP).

About Centennial Campus

Centennial Campus is an internationally recognized 1,314-acre research park and technology campus owned and operated by NC State. Home to more than 60 corporate, government and non-profit partners, such as Red Hat, ABB, and the USDA, collaborative research projects vary from nanofibers and secure open systems technology to serious gaming and biomedical engineering. http://www.centennial.ncsu.edu.

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