Search sponsor
REC Solar, a specialist in designing and installing PV systems, has been making a name for itself in Florida’s solar industry with the installation of five PV systems on IKEA and US Department of Veteran’s Affairs (VA) Medical Center locations across the US state. The installations add a total PV capacity of 5MW.
In July, the company completed installations at IKEA’s Orlando and Tampa stores as well as at the Miami VA Medical Center while installations at the Bay Pines VA Medical Center and IKEA Sunrise store are scheduled to complete by the end of the year. The Orlando and Tampo stores represent REC Solar’s 11th and 12th installations for IKEA nationwide.
REC Solar and SnapNRack, a developer of PV mounting systems, designed the systems for all five projects. They custom-designed each PV system in order to meet the needs of IKEA and the VA’s internal performance requirements, as well as the state’s 186mph wind load requirement for new solar installations. The companies utilized SnapNRack’s Series 450 hybrid-ballasted and attached racking solution on four of the installations.
Lee Johnson, CEO of Mainstream Energy, parent company of REC Solar, stated, “These impressive installations are a result of our experience designing and installing solar systems tailored to the customer’s specific cost and climate-related constraints. Especially in Florida, competitively-priced solar makes economic sense as a tool for businesses and agencies to control electricity costs and hedge against future rate hikes.”
Florida is well positioned to become a significant market for solar energy as it has “ample sunshine, high-energy usage, and fast-falling solar prices”. However, the state faces frequent battles against hurricanes which pose engineering challenges, particularly for large-scale roof-mounted PV systems.
