Indoor riding arena home to Montana's largest off-grid installation
The Eagle Vista Ranch in Livingston, Montana, recently flipped the switch on what may be the state's largest off-grid renewable energy installation. Planetary Systems, a Xantrex Certified Dealer, installed the off-grid system at the Ranch's 17,000 square foot indoor horse riding facility.
The Eagle Vista Ranch in Livingston, Montana, recently flipped the switch on what may be the state's largest off-grid renewable energy installation. Planetary Systems, a Xantrex Certified Dealer, installed the off-grid system, which provides power for the Ranch's 17,000 square foot indoor horse riding facility.
Since the Ranch is in an area that is not connected to the utility grid, the owners were faced with the decision to pay for the connection or to install an independent off-grid power system. Planetary System estimates the cost of the independent system was less than 20 per cent of the cost of extending power lines to the Ranch.
"This is an exceptional off-grid installation and one we believe is the largest in the state," said Planetary System's Bill Von Brethorst.
The off-grid system, which generates power from the sun and wind, supplies power for electrical, heating and water systems in Eagle Vista's indoor horse arena, horse stalls, office, restrooms, sound system and viewing rooms. Planetary Systems selected Xantrex SW Inverter/Chargers to convert the DC power generated by the solar array and wind generators into high-quality AC electricity.
"We included SW Inverter/Chargers in our Model 2E Power Package to ensure maximum reliability and efficiency," Von Brethorst said.
For Eagle Vista owners Marty and Julie Dixon saving money by not having a monthly electric bill wasn't the main reason to install a renewable energy system.
"Julie and I both feel the need to preserve the land with which we are blessed to own so using renewable energy was a simple choice to make," said Marty Dixon. "Our location is ideal for solar and wind power and so we decided early in the arena project to take advantage of all nature has to offer."
The Eagle Vista Ranch off-grid installation includes the following equipment:
• Two Xantrex SW-5548 inverter/chargers
• GNB Absolyte IIP batteries (48vdc bank of 100A-31)
• 5280 watt solar array consisting of Sharp 165 watt solar modules (32)
• Two Whisper SWWP H40 wind generators
• Kohler 11 RMY LP generator (used as a backup).
About Planetary Systems
Planetary Systems, Inc. has been installing renewable energy systems since 1994. The company has three full-time and three seasonal employees. Planetary Systems, located in Ennis, Montana, U.S.A., has installed more than 900 systems world-wide. Additional information about Planetary Systems is available at www.planetarysystems.com.
About Xantrex
Xantrex Technology Inc. is a world leader in the development, manufacturing and marketing of advanced power electronic products and systems for the distributed, mobile and programmable power markets. The company's products convert raw electrical power from any central, distributed, or backup power source into high-quality power required by electronic and electrical equipment.
Xantrex is a public company listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX:XTX). Headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia, the company has facilities in Arlington, Washington; Livermore, California; Elkhart, Indiana and Barcelona, Spain. Additional information about Xantrex is available at www.xantrex.com.
Note that this news release contains forward-looking statements related to Xantrex Technology Inc. Such statements reflect the current views of Xantrex with respect to future events and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated in these forward-looking statements.
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