Williamstown High School
Williamstown High School Adds Solar Energy System
386 Panel Solar Photovoltaic System Installed by Pickering Energy Solutions
Williamstown High School, commissioned in the summer of 2018, is the largest solar system in the area at the time of its installation. This system uses 386 solar panels to generate 132 kW of power. This DC power is fed into inverters, which blend the solar power in with the rest of the power that the building gets from the power company. The solar system will provide about 13% of the total power that the building uses in an average year.
Installation Process
Positioning materials on the roof.
Panel Configuration
Installing solar panels.
Completed Installation
The finished 132 kW solar system.
More About the System
386 Solar Photovoltaic Panels, 132 kW
This system will produce approximately 150,000 kWH of power in an average year. This is the amount of power that would be required to operate 13 ½ average American Homes for a year. Because the region uses coal to produce 94% of its power, the power produced by this solar array will avoid the emission of 155 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere every year. This is the equivalent of the annual carbon dioxide output of 30 cars. As you know, trees take in carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and convert it to oxygen through the photosynthesis process. You would need to have 128 acres of trees to absorb the amount of CO2 that will be avoided by this project.
View Power Production Live
This system, comprising 386 solar panels, will provide approximately 132 kW of solar power which will offset a portion of the energy used in the building. We are expecting that this system will provide 13% of the energy used by the PHS Fieldhouse in an average year. Click the panel image or link below to view the system live.
Did You Know?
This system was designed with help by high school students participating in the Energy and Power Program at Caperton Center for Applied Technology at WVU Parkersburg. These students worked on the roof layout and economic model for the system, in addition to working on a demonstration solar project at Edison Junior High School in South Parkersburg.
Thanks to our partners for your support!
The project team for this project included the Pickering Associates team for the design, engineering and construction management, Third Sun Solar for the DC design and construction support, and Pro1 Electric for the electrical installation.
