DP&L Yankee Solar Power Facility
ESI Electrical Contractors provides the entire spectrum of electrical installations, from wiring and control systems to telecommunications installations.
Recently, ESI has been working on a $5 million DP&L project consisting of the installation of 9,000 solar panels on seven acres at the Yankee Substation in Washington Township. This solar array will produce 1.1 megawatts when fully operational. It is estimated that it will produce enough electricity to power 150 homes. A visitor center to educate the public about solar power is planned as part of the installation.
Some of the advantages of solar power include:
- Renewable.
- Non-polluting / no greenhouse gasses.
- Silent.
- Sun is available generally during the time of peak power needs
- Can be used anywhere. Producing power where it is used lessens the strain on the electric grid and minimizes the need for more transmission lines.
- No moving parts – means that solar generation requires little maintenance and has a long lifetime. Compared to other renewable sources, solar has many advantages; wind and water power rely on turbines which are noisy, expensive and susceptible to breakdown.
- Although the cost to build a solar array is one and a half as much as a new coal plant, the cost of solar continues to decline.
The project was built by Ameridian Specialty Services along with Miller-Valentine Commercial Construction, SquareD/Schneider Electric, ESI and Inovateus Solar. ESI was subcontracted by Square D/Schneider Electric to do the wiring installation between the panels, collectors and inverter/transformer assembly unit. The biggest challenge for this project, and many other construction projects in the Dayton area, was the snowy weather in February. But ESI was able to keep the project on schedule to begin operations this spring.