With assistance from the ERMCO Green Energy Group and Eco Source, Inc., the TIE Center in Scottsburg received a grant through the Office of Energy Development’s Alternative Power Energy Program towards the installation of 22,000 watt solar system. The system consisted of 3 separate combination parallel/series circuits containing 32~Sanyo HIT210 in each configuration feeding a Sunny Boy SMA7000 watt inverter. 5 additional panels utilizing Enphase inverters mounted directly under the panels were installed on a sculptural piece at the entrance to Straylight, a high tech lighting manufacturer housed within the TIE Center. The entire installation was designed, engineered and installed in conjunction with Eco Source, Inc., a local sustainable construction company specializing in “green energy” projects.

In September of 2010, ERMCO began installing what is thought to be the largest solar photovoltaic project in the state of Indiana to date. It is part of a project that will bring high-performance green technology to the Bean Federal Center. This project is being funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and directed by the U.S. General Services Administration.

The system, pushing nearly 2,000,000 watts, consists of roughly 6,000 Sun Power 318 panels covering the roof of the three-story building on Indianapolis’ northeast side. The system includes 4 – 500KW roof mounted inverters and transformers that are connected direct to the existing substations located on the 1st floor.

The project also includes a solar panel testing laboratory area consisting of a 3,000 watt medium efficiency crystalline module array, 3,000 watt thin-film laminate array, 3,000 watt thin-film panel array and a 3,000 watt thin-film cylindrical array. The laboratory area houses a small weather station data server, which reports the power generation and all relative atmospheric information The inverters had to be placed on the roof with a helicopter due to the location of their installation.

Ron Jones, Scott Donovan and Andre Grocox were the Project Managers for this job and Fred Miessen was Foreman.

ERMCO, Inc. was recently awarded the Briscoe Quad project in Bloomington, Indiana. Besides being a standard scope electrical project, this project also has 4~5,000 watt solar photovoltaic systems on the roof of the multi-story student dormitory. Each 5,000 watt system will consist of 25~200 watt Evergreen solar panels serving a 5,000 Fronius inverter. One of the determining factors of the project was the alternate for said solar installation, which ERMCO was able to more competitively bid based on past solar experience. The installation will also utilize the Fat Spaniel data collecting network for daily and interval output to any accessible internet connection of interest.

In late 2009, Andre Grocox, the ERMCO Green Energy Group Project Manager, was awarded an IPL Renewable Energy Program Demand-Side Grant on behalf of the IEJATC. Andre is a part-time Instructor at the IEJATC and was instrumental in landing a $10,000.00 grant towards the installation of a 3,000 watt solar array. This installation was the first solar project for ERMCO, Inc. and was instrumental in teaching several key ERMCO field personnel the characteristics of solar photovoltaic systems. It should be noted ERMCO, Inc. currently has a total of 24 Construction Operations Team members and Project Managers currently completing the IEJATC-sponsored Green Technician Certification, being taught by Andre Grocox. This training will prepare several of our key personnel for all future “green energy” projects.