Stellar Energy Lightstorm Entertainment

P "#$%&' System Proﬁles

Overview

DESIGNER: Chris Pettigrew, senior Courtesy Stellar Energy (4) commercial PV designer, Stellar Energy, stellarenergy.com n June 2012, Stellar Energy commis- period based on the facility’s historical sioned a 960 kW roof-mounted PV sys- energy consumption, which included LEAD INSTALLERS: Jim Nash, project I manager, Stellar Energy; Steve Foster, tem that provides clean energy for James the energy used to produce the #rst #lm. project manager, CSI Electrical Con- Cameron’s Lightstorm Entertainment Stellar Energy designed the system, which tractors, csielectric.com production studio. "e Lightstorm team utilizes 3,692 Yingli Solar 260 W modules DATE COMMISSIONED: June 13, 2012 wanted to make a signi#cant statement and three Solectria SGI central inverters, by powering 100% of the #lming and pro- to generate a projected 1,667 MWh annu- INSTALLATION TIME FRAME: duction of the Avatar movie sequels with ally. "e system will allow the #lmmakers 113 days solar energy. Installed at the MBS Media to achieve their goal of producing 100% LOCATION: Manhattan Beach, CA, Campus in Manhattan Beach, California, solar-powered Avatar sequels. 33.9°N the system required close cooperation "e 212,481-square-foot array is 2 SOLAR RESOURCE: 5.6 kWh/m /day between Lightstorm; the property owner, distributed over three buildings. "e ASHRAE DESIGN TEMPERATURES: the Carlyle Group; and the property man- barrel roofs presented a design chal- 78.8°F 2% average high, 39.2°F ager, Raleigh Studios. lenge requiring Stellar Energy to develop extreme minimum Stellar Energy worked with Light- a unique penetrating racking system ARRAY CAPACITY: 960 kWdc storm Entertainment to determine the that fans over the roof surfaces. "e ANNUAL AC PRODUCTION: amount of energy the Avatar franchise adjustable racking system conforms 1,667 MWh would consume over a 5-year production to the curve of the buildings’ roofs and

110 SOLARPRO | October/November 2013 Equipment Speci"cations

MODULES: 3,692 Yingli Solar minimizes the impact of the roof sur- stop and start on di$erent roof sec- YL260C-30b, 260 W STC, +5/-0 W, faces’ varying heights. tions as the studio directed. "e racking 8.46 Imp, 30.8 Vmp, 8.91 Isc, 38.6 "e custom-designed racking system system’s design helped meet the client’s Voc was economical and easy to install. "e requirement to avoid noise pollution INVERTERS: 3-phase 277/480 Vac majority of the system utilizes self- inside the studio. service, two Solectria SGI 266 tapping Tek screws that do not require An additional design complication (266 kW, 625 Vdc maximum input, pilot holes—the tip of the screw drills was the limited ground space available 300–500 Vdc MPPT range), one a hole before the threads engage with for the three Solectria central inverters. Solectria SGI 300 (300 kW, 625 Vdc the mating structural member. Stellar To maintain the studio’s limited park- maximum input, 300–500 Vdc MPPT Energy minimized the number of required ing spaces, Stellar Energy installed one range), one roof-mounted inverter mounting penetrations by connecting inverter on each of the three roofs. per each of three buildings two rows of racking using long C-channel Make sure to check out Stellar Energy’s ARRAY: 13 modules per source beams. Instead of the typical two rows video of the project, which includes circuit (3,380 W, 8.46 Imp, 400.4 Vmp, of penetrations (front and rear) for each an interview with James Cameron, at 8.91 Isc, 501.8 Voc), 9–12 source circuits per combiner; eight combin- row of modules, the system that Stellar stellarenergy.com/case-studies/ ers each for SGI 266 inverters, nine Energy developed has three rows of pen- commercial-solar/item/lightstorm- combiners for SGI 300 inverter; 960 etrations (front, center and rear) for every entertainment.html. kWdc array total two rows of modules. "is design resulted “The Lightstorm Entertainment project ARRAY INSTALLATION: Penetrating presented us with multiple engineering in a 25% reduction in the total number of roof mount, 3-ply Class A built-up roof penetrations. challenges. There was not a racking system roof, custom racking system, 180° Working at a busy studio that was on the market that could accommodate the azimuth, 15° tilt slopes of the buildings’ barrel roofs. Stellar in full production during the PV system ARRAY COMBINERS: 25 Bentek Solar installation required accommodating Energy designed and fabricated a custom Basic 200 A, 15 A fuses the client’s security, privacy and noise racking system with angular beam connec- SYSTEM MONITORING: DECK tions that allowed multiple small arrays to restriction policies to minimize disrup- Monitoring with weather station tion. To eliminate any unwanted noise pivot around the roof surface.” (environmental data shared between on the roof, installation crews would —Chris Pettigrew, Stellar Energy three arrays)

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