Colorblends is a third-generation wholesale bulb merchant offering top-sized flower bulbs directly to professionals and ambitious residential gardeners throughout North America. Headquartered in Bridgeport, Connecticut, Colorblends added a 30-kilowatt solar system in 2018 that will offset all of the annual use at its office and warehouse.
We completed an LED lighting upgrade for the 23,000 square foot warehouse to lower the lighting portion of the overall annual electric usage by 65%.
The warehouse has two monitor windows that let in natural daylight. These have pitched roofs that face due south, a perfect location for solar! We added a third array on the flat roof in front of the southern-most monitor window roof. Together these 100 solar panels will cover 100% of Colorblend’s anticipated annual electric use.
In Connecticut, this solar system is eligible to participate in the state’s Small Zero Emissions Renewable Energy Credit (ZREC) Program administered by the local utility.
Project specs:
- System size: 30 kWdc yielding circa 36,000 kilowatt-hours per year.
- Mounting: For pitched roofs: SnapNRack 100 rail system. For flat roof: EcoFoot2 non-penetrating, ballasted trays.
- Year installed: 2018
- Electricity offset: $5,000 annual savings offsetting 100% of annual electric use.
- Federal and state incentives: $56,000 in federal ITC and depreciation benefits and c. $3,400 per annum from the Connecticut Small ZREC Program.