A common sight on rooftops or emergency phones on the highway, photovoltaic (PV) panels are finally taking a stab at producing enough energy to power a whole facility, at least when the sun is shining.

Pacific Power Management of Auburn, California just finished installing a 500 kilowatt (kW) DC solar electric system for Universal Forest Products in Thornton, California.

Universal is the leading producer of pressure-treated wood and North America’s largest manufacturer of engineered roof systems for manufactured housing and site-built construction. Engineered products typically are made from fast-growing species cultivated in managed forests. They are manufactured with less waste and carry greater loads over longer spans than solid wood of equivalent size.

Universal Forest Products' solar project cost $4.4 million (USD) and qualified for a $1.1 million solar energy rebate from Pacific Gas and Electric Company, the electric and gas utility company for Northern California. The state-of-the-art system is expected to generate 800,000 kilowatt hours (kWh) per year, meeting approximately 70% of the total energy costs of the Thorton, CA manufacturing plant.

Sarah Modgling, Marketing Director for Pacific Power Management, said they are a one-stop shop which analyzes the customer’s energy needs, installs equipment to improve the energy efficiency, and designs and installs photovoltaic systems to generate electricity.

Universal's Thornton system is made up of 3,311 Mitsubishi Electric 180-watt modules and one SatCon 500kW inverter. The system performance will be monitored by Pacific Power Management's proprietary SolarWatch with a display monitor for real time production measurement. Approximately 10,000 square feet or 50% of the roof area is covered with the dark colored solar panels in the aerial view below.

How does a solar electric system work? Photovoltaic (solar) cells in modules are mounted on the buildings roof and convert sunlight directly into DC power. A basic grid-tie system, as shown below, consists of solar cells and a grid-tie inverter. Solar cells take the sun's energy and turn it into DC electricity. The inverter turns the DC electricity generated by the solar cells into utility grade AC power for use in your home or business.

PG&E's Account Executive of Service and Sales, John Chin, said the utility company applauds Universal Forest Products for its vision and wisdom to better manage their energy costs while also helping the environment.

World solar photovoltaic (PV) market installations reached a record high of 2,826 megawatts (MW) in 2007, representing growth of 62% over the previous year.

Germany's PV market reached 1,328 MW in 2007 and now accounts for 47% of the world market. Spain soared by over 480% to 640 MW, while the United States increased by 57% to 220 MW. The US became the world's fourth largest market behind Japan, once the world leader, which declined 23% to 230 MW. All told, about 4,000 megawatts of new, concentrated solar-power capacity moved into the planning stage in 2008 alone, about double the year before, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association. That 4,000 MW is enough power for more than 1 million homes in North America.

Pacific Power Management also has a $250 million funding agreement with a major Wall Street firm. The power purchase agreement allows for public, non-profit, and very large companies to access financing that they would otherwise not be able to obtain. That means an increased amount of larger installations which enhances the company’s individual environmental stewardship and bolsters their bottom line. This is another alternative funding approach for solar installations, similar to Connecticut's offering for their residents. X