PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Conti completed work on an aggressive 12-week timeframe for completion due to strict ARRA requirements.

Faced with the challenge of lowering usage during peak utility load periods, the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center (UTSW) chose a solar energy solution to reduce the facility’s overall electrical costs. UTSW showcased this project to teach the community about renewable energy, capitalizing on the highly visible nature of the site which reduces carbon emissions while providing shaded parking areas to staff and visitors.

Conti was awarded the contract to design and construct a 300 kW solar photovoltaic (PV) parking canopy energy system at the Thermal Plant parking lot on the UTSW campus in Dallas, Texas. The project included a $2 million grant from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and all equipment had to adhere to its Buy American program. Conti designed the system to optimize the energy output based upon the southwest orientation of the array and the 8,000 square feet of available space, while allowing the drive aisles to remain fully functional. Conti teamed with Kyocera and Solaire Generation to design the system using solar PV modules mounted on three fixed-tilt elevated mounting structures with a 10-degree tilt.

The system was connected to UTSW’s Thermal Plant electrical room and tied into the utility meter. This solar array will produce 406,281 kWh in the first year, saving an equivalent to the annual greenhouse gas emissions from 55 cars while producing enough electricity to power 35 homes annually.