OREANDA-NEWS. Power management company Eaton today announced a contract to provide electrical distribution equipment and engineering services for an 8.2-megawatt (MW) community solar installation in Colorado. Eaton’s solutions will help support safe, cost-effective and reliable power generation at five sites in Colorado, including Denver and Colorado Springs. Upon completion, the five community solar installations are predicted to generate enough to power more than 1,600 homes for 20 years. The terms of the contract were not disclosed.

Eaton is working with SunShare on these projects. SunShare will provide customer management, subscriptions and billing. Under power purchase agreements, municipal Colorado Springs Utilities will utilize the energy produced in Colorado Springs and Xcel Energy will purchase the energy produced in Denver.

“Community-based solar has great potential to serve as a solution to meeting our nation’s growing energy demands,” said John Vernacchia, global segment manager for renewable energy at Eaton. “By combining the capabilities of Eaton’s proven power management solutions with the expertise of SunShare, the installation will help improve the way Colorado municipalities produce and consume electrical energy.”

The project will incorporate Eaton’s solar balance of system (BOS) solutions and engineering services to help support safe, cost-effective and reliable solar generation. Under the contract, Eaton will supply a range of electrical power management products, including: switchboards, panelboards, combiner boxes, loadcenters with dry-type transformers, and circuit protection solutions.

Eaton’s regional Customer Manufacturing Solution Center (CMSC) developed customized switchboard assemblies to support the projects. The switchboards will include integrated service entrance and solar power distribution, utility and customer metering, remote switching, and configured relaying in a compact package to reduce the physical footprint of electrical distribution equipment. All switchboards will be fabricated, wired and factory tested prior to delivery to reduce installation time, labor and cost.

To help enhance safety and reliability, Eaton's Electrical Services and Systems Division – one of the largest and most experienced teams of power system engineers in the industry – will perform short circuit, electrical coordination and arc flash studies at each of the sites.

With a robust portfolio of electrical balance of system solutions for solar installations, and a team of experienced engineers, Eaton provides power management equipment and software tailored to customer requirements and the skills needed to successfully complete a project, from initial design and application assistance through post-installation measurement, verification and maintenance. 

About SunShare
SunShare is transforming the energy industry with locally-generated community solar power. Anyone can choose to purchase electricity from SunShare’s solar farms while their utility continues delivering their energy. SunShare customers simply receive credits on their utility bills which protect them from rising electricity rates. Our team is driving innovation and making solar an easy choice. As one of the nation’s first community solar companies, we have enabled hundreds of citizens, businesses and organizations to play a part in creating a cleaner, better future.

Eaton’s electrical business is a global leader with expertise in power distribution and circuit protection; backup power protection; control and automation; lighting and security; structural solutions and wiring devices; solutions for harsh and hazardous environments; and engineering services. Eaton is positioned through its global solutions to answer today’s most critical electrical power management challenges.

Eaton is a power management company with 2014 sales of \\$22.6 billion. Eaton provides energy-efficient solutions that help our customers effectively manage electrical, hydraulic and mechanical power more efficiently, safely and sustainably. Eaton has approximately 102,000 employees and sells products to customers in more than 175 countries.