What\’s Up With The Solar Panels Seen On Palmetto Expressway?

Sun Electronics is the owner of a giant wall of new solar panels seen from the Palmetto Expressway in Miami Gardens.

Sun Electronics hopes the big display of solar power, among the largest in the Miami area, makes a bold statement.

John Kimball, CEO of Sun Electronics, said the vertically mounted panels act as a unique advertising billboard in addition to generating all the electricity needed at the warehouse.

The 2,510 square-foot warehouse, 2001 N.W. 167th St., is the main distribution point for Sun Electronics.

The new installation includes 156 individually-mounted panels producing about 30 kilowatts at maximum power.

GeoSolar Energy Systems did the installation. Amir Abtahi, professor of mechanical and solar engineering at Florida Atlantic University, owns GeoSolar.

\”I wouldn\’t normally install panels vertically on a wall, but in this case I made an exception since they function as a billboard,\” Abtahi says.

Despite the vertical position, the company said the panels still produce plenty of power. They reach their peak energy output in December, when the sun sinks low on the horizon.

Each panel in the system is 1.6 inches thick, 37.5 inches wide and 61.8 inches tall.

What about hurricanes? Sun Electronic said the panels are designed to withstand winds of 200 mph, which exceeds the Florida Building Code requirement of 175 mph.

Sun Electronics said in a news release it has been in the solar panel business for more than 40 years.

 

Source:  SFBJ