Jeff S. from Chadds Ford in Delaware County, PA wanted to use his horse barn for something more than just a home for his horses.
The big red barn was built in the 1800s and has a huge, south-facing roofline. He knew that more could be done with that space and thought, what better way to power the barn and his home than solar?
After doing some research, Jeff contacted TerraSol to help realize the project, from design and engineering to approvals with the local township and utility company, to installing the system.
The first step – and the biggest challenge – was to determine that the over 100-year-old barn could handle the added weight of solar panels.
TerraSol completed a structural analysis, for which they measured all the supporting beams and interior structure of the barn.
Next, the building was sent through rigorous testing, including worst-case-scenario wind loads of over 100 mph and snow loads of over 25 pounds per square foot (psf).
The building passed all inspections, and TerraSol was cleared to install the number of solar panels required to power not just the home, but the barn as well.
However, one issue remained. PECO required that the solar system tie-in at the meter, which was located 200 ft away at the main house.
In addition to planning for the added weight and uplift that the solar panels would place on the barn structure, TerraSol also had to come up with a way to connect the wiring of the solar system back to the house.
To accomplish this, TerraSol carefully trenched underground and underneath the driveway without disturbing it to lead the wire safely to the point of interconnection.
The solar system was installed and connected without issue, and Jeff now enjoys the eco-friendly, cost-saving benefits of solar power for both his home and the home of his equine friends.
Jeff frequently tracks his solar system’s performance via the online monitoring app. He can see monthly changes in performance and quickly identify errors in the panels or equipment that must be addressed throughout the life of the system.
“Everybody we worked with at TerraSol was professional, responsive, and helpful,” Jeff reported. “They installed a sizable solar panel array on the roof of my barn and then connected it to my house. It all worked perfectly, was sized just right, and we couldn’t be happier.”