Puget Sound Solar is proud to have helped the City of Kirkland install solar at City Hall. What really inspires us about this project is how the city was moved to pursue more sustainable infrastructure by a presentation from two International Community School students on June 16, 2016.
Allison Li and Shena Bharadwaj proposed Kirkland incorporate solar energy into their remodel plans for city hall. Following the student’s presentation Mayor Amy Walen encouraged city staff to investigate how the city could make the student’s proposal a reality. Just four months later, in October 2016, our crews were on the city hall roof making Li and Bahradwaj’s dream reality.
“I was super excited that our presentation actually made an environmental impact in our city,” Li told the Kirkland Reporter. “It’s incredible that a small science project can turn into something as big as installing solar panels in city hall and incorporating a clean energy source.”
The system was comprised of 42 Solarworld 315 watt modules tilted at 10 degrees on an iron ridge tilted racking system. The 1000VDC rated modules were strung in strings of 14 to a Fronius Symo 15-3 480v inverter, ac disconnect, production meter and interconnected to the main switchboard.
The system wasn’t just built on the vision and values of the Pacific Northwest, but with its products, too. Solarworld panels are manufactured in Hillsboro, Oregon. B&D Construction and Bailey carried out the remodel, while Evergreen Erectors built the steel sub-structure. And this isn’t Kirkland’s first move towards a sustainable future for its citizens.
Kirkland has been proactive and moved to install public charging stations for electric vehicles, begun incorporating EVs into the city’s fleet of vehicles, and has been offering a Solarize Kirkland program for two years running that has aided 55 residents in putting solar on their homes.
Go Kirkland!
