Parallel Products Adds 1.9MW of Solar with PVKIT®

Recycling facility offset its carbon footprint by adding rooftop PV with a DirectAttach™ solar mounting solution.

LOCATION New Bedford, Massachusetts

INDUSTRY Commercial

CUSTOMER Parallel Products Duchaine Boulevard Recycling Facility

The Challenge

The new glass processing Duchaine Boulevard facility is a necessary development for the Commonwealth to ensure the recycling of glass bottles versus disposal and/or lower value usages such as fill.

The company’s main goal was to offset its carbon footprint since PPNE annually processes 3,710 tons of aluminum, 3,892 tons of recyclable plastic containers and now 50,000 tons of glass, utilizing heavy machinery and equipment that consume an enormous amount of power.

Project Stats

The new Duchaine Boulevard facility features a standing seam metal roof with 1.9 MW of rooftop solar PV. The EPC contractor recommended the PVKIT, a DirectAttach™ rail-less solar solution to provide a secure, economical and penetration-free method for attaching the solar modules to the metal roof.

2 MW

Solar system

6500

PVKIT rail-less solar mounts

6500

S-5-V Mini clamps

The Solution

This new facility has increased solar capacity by 1.9 MW, part of its greater 4 MW solar initiative on campus. The PVKIT’s preassembled components enabled solar installers to “lay and play” PV modules with tested, engineered, cost-saving attachment.

The project has enabled PPNE to further its sustainability goals. Not only is the company offsetting its carbon footprint, but it has also far exceeded what it consumes on-site and is selling power back to the grid via the local utility company through the Solar Massachusetts Renewable Target (SMART) Program, a long-term sustainable solar incentive program that promotes cost-effective solar development in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

50%

Savings in freight costs due to lightweight solution

85%

Lighter than rails

50%

Faster installation

“The S-5! PVKITs and S-5-V Mini clamps really work well on the type of buildings we generally use in the recycling business, which are prefab standing seam metal roofs. The installation was much faster than we anticipated. With on-site demonstrations and installation instructions provided by S-5!, it was a really short learning curve and a really clean installation. If you take a bird’s eye view, the system is clean and attractive; it almost looks like an extension of the building. S-5! DirectAttach looks natural, non-obtrusive, built-in, sleek and low-profile. S-5! is a great product, and I would highly recommend it.”

Tim Cusson

| VP of Business Development, Parallel Products, New Bedford, Massachusetts