Project: Illinois homeowners install three ground-mount, solar trackers
Bob and Amanda Montgomery of Sullivan, Ill., are now powering their home with solar energy, but instead of going the typical homeowner root (roof-top), the Montgomerys have gone ground-mount and incorporated three innovative solar trackers from AllEarth Renewables.
The 16.8 kW (DC) solar system is interconnected with Coles-Moultrie Electric Cooperative utility and is the largest residential solar system in the utility’s territory. With an expected generation of over 30,000 kWh per year, the solar trackers will generate 100 percent of the Montgomery’s annual electricity needs.
AllEarth Solar Trackers track the sun throughout the day to maximize energy production. The ground-mounted pre-engineered solar trackers are designed for residential and commercial-scale installations and are manufactured in Williston, Vt.
AllEarth has had a bunch of cool installs lately
AllEarth Solar Trackers can produce over 30 percent more energy than fix ground-mounted systems and over 45 percent more energy than rooftop systems per kilowatt installed. The project was installed by Tick Tock Energy, Inc., a solar installation company located in Effingham, Ill.
“The trackers are located next to the Montgomerys’ home in a field of prairie grass putting the abundant sunshine we receive to great use,” commented Eric Pals, president of Tick Tock Energy.
Since the completion of the solar tracker project, the Montgomery’s are now in the process of installing a geothermal heat pump, which will tap the earth’s energy to assist with the home’s heating and cooling. The enhanced production from the solar trackers provided the perfect pairing with the electric energy demand of geothermal heating and cooling.
