Ellen Ross

Renewable Energy Workshop Fieldwork

CDAE 106 Internship

Spring 2011

         For my renewable energy fieldwork I worked with the Mill Yard Condo Assoc. in order to discuss the possibilities of a photovoltaic system that would be housed on the roof of the 44 units in the Mill Yard condo site. This site proved challenging as there are 44 different units all housed in one building, so there were 44 different meters. To find the load of the building, every meter must be surveyed separately. By calling green mountain power with residents account numbers I was able to find a good estimate of the usage of the building. This turned out to be quite substantial, and Mill Yard will be looking at a system upwards of 500kW. I also conducted research regarding the incentives and grants that Mill Yard will be able to apply for and receive based on the PV output.

I met with the board to discuss options, and at this time the association is looking into site visits from multiple vendors around the state to find out what the costs will look like, and if the building has the structural integrity and roof footage in order to house such a large system.