Publish Date: September 23^rd, 2024

The benefits for commercial entities who go solar are massive. From lowered operating expenses to showcasing your commitment to sustainability, investing in solar on your commercial property has the potential to have a positive impact that reaches far and wide.

Recently, Vaisala – a global leader in weather, environmental, and industrial measurements – chose Namaste Solar to design and build a 228-kilowatt solar system at their state-of-the-art North American headquarters in Louisville, Colorado.

This project was a technical design and engineering challenge, aesthetically pleasing, and a huge win for Vaisala. The system will offset approximately 69% of the building’s electricity consumption. It’s estimated that it’ll produce 278,910 kilowatt-hours in year one, the offset equivalent of CO2 emissions from 22,241 gallons of consumed gasoline.

Let’s take a look at what it was like to engineer and design this project, system specs and highlights, and hear from the folks at Vaisala about what this project means for their company.

Hear It from Vaisala Themselves

This project really comes to life when you hear from the folks at Vaisala. "As a company that is embedded in communities across the globe, we believe in a future where societies thrive on renewable energy," says T.J. Mattimore, Director of Legal for Vaisala North America. “This installation continues Vaisala's commitment to sustainability and underlines our dedication to achieving our lofty environmental, social, and governance goals. We aim to inspire other companies to embrace sustainable energy solutions and create a cleaner, greener world for all."

Vaisala and Namaste Solar have a long-standing partnership in renewable energy initiatives. In 2010, Namaste Solar installed solar panels on the existing buildings directly south of the new Vaisala building and has since managed system operations and maintenance. The new solar PV project represents the next chapter in this successful collaboration, further strengthening Vaisala's position as a regional sustainability leader.

They also shared how and why they chose Namaste Solar as their solar partner. Among the three finalists for the project, one indicated they didn’t need to do an in-person site walk through to assess the work and another came with one person and briefly visited without diligent examination. Namaste Solar showed up with a large team onsite for the evaluation and brought different roles and perspectives to truly understand the complexity and goals of Vaisala’s unique vision for the project. That, our previous partnership, vast experience, and reputation, is what resulted in Vaisala selecting Namaste Solar.

Engineering and Designing the System

The installations included two rooftop arrays – one ballasted on a flat roof and the other flush-mounted on a pitched roof. This project also included an innovative vertical array.

Vaisala, Courtesy of Namaste Solar

More than 25 Namaste Solar professionals were actively involved in development, design, procurement, project and construction management, and installation. The project lasted approximately nine months from contract signing to the end of construction.

This project was engineering heavy due to the different surfaces and other technical concerns. Constructing vertically installed solar arrays is still relatively new and evolving. And while Namaste Solar has installed them in the past, it’s not yet a common installation surface with anchoring methods varying from project to project.

With this project, our experienced designers and project managers had to plan for safety, efficiency, buildability, and integration with the existing structure, while protecting existing landscaping. All of these details presented unique complexities.

Our team brought together their decades of combined experience along with a fresh perspective for such a unique project. Because Namaste Solar is vertically integrated, a cross-functional team of designers, project managers, installers, and members of Operations & Maintenance (who repair older systems and understand how to avoid future issues by proactively constructing using specific standards) collaborated to successfully implement a vertical solar array, setting a precedent for future installations.

Vaisala, Courtesy of Namaste Solar

The Vertical Array

The vertical array used in this project allows Vaisala to blend renewable energy generation with an eye-catching design aesthetic.

For buildings with high electricity usage, the rooftop surfaces may not be large enough to house the amount of solar required to offset the energy usage. Solar facades bridge this gap, providing an additional surface for solar. And, when a vertical array is combined with rooftop solar, this leads to a significant decrease in energy costs along with reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Further, a solar facade contributes to energy efficiency by providing shade to the building, reducing the need to use energy-intensive air conditioning units.

Aesthetically speaking, the vertical facade looks incredible. And provides an opportunity for Vaisala to prominently demonstrate their commitment to sustainability while raising awareness about the benefits of clean, renewable solar energy. With this project, Vaisala embraced solar power. And in doing so with the highly visible vertical facade, they reduce their carbon footprint while demonstrating their role as a beacon of sustainability within the community.

Vaisala, Courtesy of Namaste Solar

System Specs of the Vaisala Project

Here are the system specifications and project details:

• Total System Size: 228 kilowatts
• Number of Panels: 492
• Total Arrays: Two Rooftop Arrays and One Vertical Facade
• Electrical Consumption Offset: 69%
• Energy Consumption Offset Equivalent: 38 homes
• Location: Louisville, Colorado

Commercial Solar is a Win-Win

The benefits of commercial solar cannot be overstated. Many commercial customers enjoy:

• Lower utility bills and other operating expenses
• Qualification for financial incentives including the Federal Investment Tax Credit (ITC) and Bonus Depreciation
• Compliance with green ordinance requirements
• Increased property value
• A visual commitment to a sustainable future
• A building that’s more attractive to tenants

For answers to the most frequently asked commercial solar questions, check out this blog.

And if you’re ready to see what commercial solar can do for you, our non-commissioned sales experts would love to hear from you. They’ll give you straight-forward advice, not a pushy sales pitch. Click the button below to get started.

Recommended Reading:

• Commercial Solar Financing and Lending Options
• How to Assess a Commercial Solar Project Proposal
• FAQs: We Answer Your Top Commercial Solar Questions