RNRG Systems from the air. Photo courtesy RNRG.
Renewable NRG Systems (RNRG) has added two fixed solar arrays to its LEED Gold-certified headquarters in Hinesburg, Vermont, allowing the company to meet all of its electricity needs with on-site, renewable energy. The upgrade coincides with the 35th anniversary of RNRG, which has been designing and manufacturing purpose-built products for the wind and solar sectors since the renewables industry was in its infancy.
Working with Peck Solar, a division of Peck Electric in South Burlington, Vermont, RNRG specially designed and installed 176 solar panels, which provide 56.32 kW DC of output, on the hillside behind its highly efficient and sustainable building. The arrays feature Canadian Solar PV Modules, rated at 320 watts of output per panel, and are connected to the company’s existing solar circuit through eight HiQ inverters. The panels are supported by a ground-mounted racking system (Model GM – 2), manufactured and installed by RBI Solar of Cincinnati, Ohio. RNRG is already home to a 149.1-kW solar photovoltaic installation and a 10-kW wind turbine.
While RNRG has long been committed to powering its facility entirely with renewable resources, this marks the first time in the company’s history that it has produced all of its energy on-site. The transition is in line with RNRG’s quest to implement practices and processes that dovetail with the work they help facilitate in the renewable energy industry, including resource assessment, wind plant optimization and solar monitoring. Justin Wheating, president and CEO of RNRG, says, “We are excited to have been able to install this additional solar generating capability on-site in order to both enable us to be self-sufficient and to be able to reduce the demand from the utility, enabling them also to be more efficient. This is consistent with what we as a company are helping to achieve through assisting in the development of renewable energy plants globally and it is nice to achieve this, in our own small way, at our home site.”
RNRG’s new solar array. Photo courtesy RNRG.
In addition to its on-site renewable energy systems, RNRG’s headquarters, which was built in 2004 and later expanded in 2008, includes a solar hot water system, a wood pellet heating system, radiant floor cooling systems, and a variety of other features aimed at lessening the company’s environmental impact. RNRG also utilizes lean manufacturing practices, which reduce waste, increase efficiency and enable tighter controls on product quality. The company is currently ISO 9001:2008-certified, a testament to its dedication to continual quality and efficiency improvement.
RNRG’s environmental stewardship initiatives extend beyond their own walls and for 2017, the company is partnering with the Vermont Energy Investment Corporation to administer its Living Lighter benefit—an initiative that began at RNRG nearly 15 years ago and encourages employees to reduce their carbon footprint by reimbursing sustainability purchases.
“We are fortunate to be located in a beautiful part of the world with a clean, healthy environment,” Wheating said. “We are also fortunate to have a focused, dedicated workforce, many of whom travel around the world to areas with tragically different climates. The information they bring back, along with our 35 years of experience, inspires us to redouble our efforts through working with companies around the world in changing the way energy is generated globally for the benefit of all.”
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