by Jeff Aliotta | Feb 27, 2018 | Renu Solar News
LeafSpring School, formerly Rainbow Station, will use clean solar energy
February 27, 2018 – CHARLOTTE, NC – A local preschool has gone solar, and the young students are among those most excited about the change. LeafSpring School, until recently known as Rainbow Station, located off of Providence Road West, prides itself on innovative learning. The school has recently completed a 40-kiloWatt photovoltaic solar system on the south side of the building’s roof, with their partner Renu Energy Solutions, a solar energy company.
This area is in full view from one of the main outdoor play areas, and the leadership team at LeafSpring School is thrilled to incorporate solar power into their students’ experience. At the same time, it will directly reduce the energy from the grid that the school uses to power the building daily.
LeafSpring School owner Parks Hunter says the solar energy system adds to the school’s core values, saying, “We are constantly looking to set the standard in all aspects of early childhood education from implementing a leadership-based curriculum to having the ‘Serengeti Plain’ for our playground. Going solar is another example of LeafSpring School continuing to raise the bar and be the leader in early childhood education. Partnering with Renu Energy to make solar power a reality for our facility has been great.”
Parks’ high regard for the school and its aims is matched by enthusiasm on the part of parents and students. The students are all very excited. One said, “I think that it’s very cool that our preschool is being powered by solar panels. We are the first school in the area to do that!”
Another student shared those sentiments saying, “I think that solar panels are outstanding because they use light to get energy. It’s pretty cool that my Afterschool and Preschool is the only one near here with solar panels.”
Renu Energy Solutions is located at 801 Pressley Road, Suite 100 Charlotte, NC 28217. Business hours are Monday through Friday 8:00am to 5:00pm. For more information about services or for a consultation please contact (704) 525-6767.
About Renu Energy Solutions
Renu Energy Solutions is a full service solar installer committed to helping the customer take charge of their energy future, get utility bill savings and enhance environmental stewardship, with a clear and simple client experience from initial consultation to your install and beyond.
Local to Charlotte, Renu serves North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia. Since 2010, Renu has performed installs for thousands of energy customers. For more information visit: renuenergysolutions.com/ or facebook.com/renuenergysolutions
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by Jeff Aliotta | Oct 10, 2017 | Renu Solar News
Winston-Salem’s Wise Man Brewing Is Going Solar
Winston-Salem, NC – October 10, 2017 – A local Winston-Salem brewery is announcing something no other production brewery in the Triad has up to now: Wise Man Brewing plans to harness the power of the sun!
Wise Man Brewing has quickly gained recognition since opening in January 2017 in the historic Angelo Brothers building located in downtown Winston-Salem. Their planned 34-kW solar system will offset a majority of the brewery’s future power bills. This new development is energizing brewery staff and garnering tremendously positive feedback from taproom customers.
This is a big step for an antique building: the 90-year old Angelo Brothers structure had been sitting vacant for about a decade and was in dire need of repair. Remodeling for the brewery began in 2015, and Wise Man was able to open its doors two years later. With the remodel of the historic building came an opportunity to make efficiency upgrades to the building such as a new roof, insulation, LED lights, high-efficiency water taps for brewing, and now finally solar energy.
Wise Man’s owners expect to see the electric usage decline even while beer production increases. On the timing of the decision, Wise Man Brewing Co-Founder Jason Morehead says, “We have always had a focus on sustainability, but getting a brewery off the ground is a monumental task. Now that we’re up and running, we’ve been able to take a step back and focus more on our footprint. Anyone who has been to our taproom knows that community is core to Wise Man’s culture. Being an environmentally friendly brewery is central to being a good neighbor and responsible business.”
“Speaking as both a lover of craft beer and as a supporter of renewable energy, I’m thrilled that Wise Man Brewing is moving ahead with solar,” said Patrick Cavanaugh of Renu Energy Solutions. “I love a good craft beer in a historic setting, and now the building will feature clean energy, too. The Renu Energy team is pleased to be a part of this project, and it wouldn’t surprise me if more breweries opt to start using solar to reduce monthly power costs while making a statement about taking care of the planet.”
Within the past 15 years, Winston-Salem has transformed itself from a textile and tobacco economy to be a leader in the nanotech, high-tech and biotech fields. Medical research, banking, and a flourishing arts community have come to give Winston-Salem its character in recent years. Wise Man Brewing along with others breweries is making a mark on the craft brew scene in North Carolina, in quality and in social benefits.
Renu Energy Solutions has provided solar energy systems for home and business since 2010 and is proud to partner with Wise Man Brewing as they join the renewable energy revolution. No-cost consultations for solar are available for qualified homeowners and commercial customers.
by Jeff Aliotta | Aug 14, 2017 | Renu Solar News
August 14, 2017- CHARLOTTE, NC- As August 21st draws near, the buzz surrounding the upcoming eclipse increases and the excitement is palpable. But while many are excited to see such a rare occurrence and plan on making a journey to see the fullest effect of the eclipse, how do area homeowners with solar power feel?
Renu Energy Solutions has been installing solar since 2010 and keeps in touch with our solar clients. Homeowners like Vivian Lord and David Kluttz are among the thousands of electric customers across the Carolinas with solar power installed at their homes.
We asked them whether they’re more skeptical of this event, since presumably their PV systems would produce much less energy than normal when the sky darkens for about 90 minutes during what’s normally the sunniest part of the afternoon. Here’s what they’re saying:
Vivian Lord, who lives in Charlotte and has solar, shared her perspective: “As Interim Chair of Kinesiology at UNC Charlotte, I will be on campus that day. It’s Student Convocation Day, so during the eclipse viewing I’ll be with a group of Pre-Kinesiology students.
She continues, “I understand my solar production will be about zero during the height of the eclipse, just briefly for about 15 minutes, and will be decreased for a while before and after – I guess I’ll use my monitoring app to look and see where it registers!
And she’s more enthusiastic than dismayed about the event on the whole: “Of course we haven’t had this clear of a sighting for decades and won’t again for decades. Normally my solar arrays perform efficiently, it provides on average 75% of our power needs, the rest of the power we use comes from the grid. So I don’t think anyone would be discouraged from going solar by an eclipse.”
David Kluttz of Indian Trail is also taking the eclipse in stride: “I haven’t made any real preparations, as far as using our solar energy production goes, not any more than preparing for a rainy day.
He’s hitting the road, but won’t miss out on tracking his solar energy: “We want a good view, so we’re planning to drive down to Sumter, SC, which isn’t too far. At home in Indian Trail, it will be a “partial eclipse,” so even at the peak sunlight reduction, it probably be about the same as early morning on a perfectly clear day. My SunPower Equinox monitoring tracks every bit of energy production every day, and I get a report from SunPower every month for the previous month. I can log in to my system from anywhere and check any day, month, year or lifetime production. It’s more data than you can imagine!
David doubts he’ll lose out on too much solar production: “When you look at weekly or monthly production you will not be able to see the impact, so events like this aren’t a reason not to go solar.”
Solar Panels During Eclipse: Are They Effected?
Overall, even a major eclipse doesn’t present much of an issue for solar customers, just a curious blip of nighttime during the day. According to the Energy Information Administration, despite a substantial amount of solar power installed near the path of the eclipse, the grid uses sources that are diverse enough that it should maintain total reliability during the event. 1
So, don’t feel too bad for your friend with solar, just grab your official eclipse glasses, beat the traffic and experience a once-in-a-lifetime phenomenon.
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No panic necessary: Eclipse won’t dramatically effect grid stability
by Jeff Aliotta | Jan 31, 2017 | Renu Solar News
January 31, 2017 – ROCK HILL, SC – This week in York County, South Carolina, the region’s first sonnenBatterie residential energy storage system became operational. While over 16,000 such systems have been installed worldwide, this is currently the only one in the Carolinas.
The installation of a sonnenBatterie Home Energy Storage System was completed by the Charlotte-based company Renu Energy Solutions, which since 2010 has provided installations of solar photovoltaic electric systems and other energy-efficient devices for home and business. The energy storage system is engineered in Germany and is made in the U.S.A., and uses lithium iron phosphate battery banks to hold power produced by the customer’s solar photovoltaic array. Consumer-owned solar continues to grow rapidly in the Carolinas, and battery storage for home and business is poised to be of great help to meet energy challenges in this market. Not all grid-connected solar customers choose to add energy storage, but for some, it is an important part of an energy system that will meet their specific needs.
Bobby Womack, the customer who purchased the sonnenBatterie system and received his installation this week, says: “I feel pretty excited to have the first sonnenBatterie in the area. Everyone can take steps to take care of our environment, and I believe energy storage is the next stage in taking advantage of renewable energy sources. I hope with the combination of solar panels and energy storage, the system will lower my demands from the electric grid which should lower my energy bill and also act as backup power in case of area power outages.”
Jay Radcliffe, President and CEO of Renu Energy Solutions, says, “I’m proud our company was able to help a customer achieve his goals for clean energy storage and the ability to have solar power 24 hours a day. For the Womack family, we were able to provide the benefit of a system that will keep their solar online and producing in the event of a power outage for complete peace of mind. It puts the customer in total control, and it’s readily available now.”
“sonnen’s proven and safe storage technology, which is developed and manufactured in the U.S., empowers homeowners to manage their self-produced energy and gain greater energy independence by taking control of their own energy. Our partnerships with solar and energy efficiency providers like Renu Energy Solutions are key to providing integrated solar and storage products to new markets like South Carolina,” said Blake Richetta, VP of North American Sales for sonnen.
The sonnenBatterie home energy storage system is under the manufacturer’s warranty for 10 years or 10,000 cycles. Renu Energy Solutions offers no-cost home visits by experienced energy professionals to address customers’ energy storage needs and answer questions. Consulting appointments are available now.
About sonnen, Inc.
At sonnen, we believe clean, affordable, and reliable energy for all is one of the greatest challenges of our time. With 16,000 sonnenBatterie systems installed worldwide, sonnen is a proven global leader in intelligent energy management solutions that provide greater energy control for residential customers through increased solar self-consumption, reduced peak energy usage, and reliable backup power during outages – contributing to a cleaner and more reliable energy future.
sonnen has won several awards for its energy innovations and sonnenBatterie products, including MIT’s Zayed Energy Innovation Award for 2017, Cleantech Global 100 for “Continuing Innovation” Award in 2017, Technology Review’s 50 Smartest Companies 2016, Greentech Media’s 2016 Grid Edge Award for innovation, and Cleantech’s 2015 Company of the Year Award in both Israel and Europe.
