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Solar Energy, Bikes and Colorado Springs.
One of John Crandell’s motivations for opening his Colorado Springs, Old Town Bike Shop back in 1976 was a strong commitment to protecting the natural environment. John himself, an avid bicyclist has sold thousands of bikes over the past thirty years to young and old. And as a man who walks the talk, he’s been able to live as a one-car family.
Over the past few years, as he watched energy prices rise and the impact of climate change become more pronouncned, John wanted to take another step to protect the environment. In September of 2007, that desire led John to have a 4.2 kW PV system installed at his Shop. As John noted, “I wanted to make sure everyone who comes near my bike shop learns about the benefits of solar energy. Given my concern over global warming, I decided this was the best response I could make.”
The $3.75 per watt Solar Rebate program run by Colorado Springs Utilities helped John to pay for the system. Discovering that the roof trusses of his one hundred year old building would not be able to structurally support a solar electric array, John and SolSource, Inc. decided to imbed the twenty-four SolarWorld PV modules into a parking awning structure. Each module weighs 33 lbs.
Positioned on the south side of the building, the PV awning has become a local tourist attraction. Wide enough to fit six cars, the PV awning provides cover the sun and snow, and generates clean energy for the Bike Shop. Tilted at 30 degrees, the Uni-Rac system rack was assembled using w14-30 steel uprights. These were attached to three concrete piers. A Fronius 4200 watt Inverter is located inside the building. |
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