A 6 kW Solar System was installed on the Chisac property in Tactic in February. For the next 20 to 30 years, the Solar System will silently – day after day – harvest the sun’s energy producing electrical power and an income for Inpact Ministries. The System includes 24 – 250 watt solar panels and a 6000 watt grid-tie inverter.
The generated solar electricity is first used on the Chisac site, directly reducing the amount of electricity required from the grid. At times when the solar system may be producing more electricity than the Chisac site requires, the surplus electricity is returned to the grid earning credits via the Guatemala electrical utility’s net-metering program.
Given the favourable climate and placement of the 6 kW solar array on the Chisac site, this PV system will conservatively offset Chisac’s grid electricity consumption by 8500 kWh annually. At present electricity rates of 1.9 GTQ ($0.313 CDN) per kWh, the 6 kW solar PV system will conservatively generate annual savings of 16,150 GTQ ($2660 CDN) which can be put to good use elsewhere. The sustainability impact on the Chisac operation of the 6 kW solar system may be more fully appreciated by noting the 8500 kWh of solar electricity produced annually represents:
- 40% of the total electrical consumption on the Chisac site in 2014.
- 118% of the projected annual water pumping electrical consumption for crop irrigation of existing and soon to be expanded Chisac food production. In other words, this single 6 kW array will more than offset the annual electrical consumption of Chisac irrigation water pumping.
- Expanding the Chisac solar installation to even further reduce grid electricity dependence.
- Providing solar PV based clean power for school computer labs, school administration computers, and the medical clinic to eliminate ongoing costly damage caused by poor quality grid electricity.
Thank you to the donors and Solar Energy Team for making this possible.
If you want to be involved with Phase II, contact Sandra Stephenson at sandra@impactministries.ca. She will be happy to help you. Or, if you want to make a donation to Phase II, click here and select the Green/Solar Energy option in the “Please apply my donation to the following” window.
