The solar system was designed to save the State Park about $1700 in electricity bills, that is about 30% of the buildings power needs

Fronius USA LLC, Santa Barbara teamed with a consortium lead by GeoGenix LLC, Rumson, NJ, to help provide a solar solution for Island Beach State Park in New Jersey. GeoGenix provided the design and engineering resources and Fronius donated the data communications components used to monitor the solar systems performance. The installation, which included FRONIUS IG inverters, was a team effort comprised of local New Jersey solar contractors Absolutely Energized, Bald Eagle Solar Technology, GeoGenix LLC, LBI Solar and Sea Bright Solar LLC. The project was funded through a partnership of New Jersey Natural Gas Co., the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities Office of Clean Energy, and the NJ Department of Environmental Protection.

"The solar system was designed to save the State Park about $1700 in electricity bills, that is about 30% of the buildings power needs," said Gaurav Naik of GeoGenix, "70% of the system cost was funded by the state Clean Energy rebate and the remainder was funded by NJ Natural Gas Co. This project is a great example of how the State, the local utility and private business can successfully partner to provide a meaningful solution".

The State Park's Bathhouse Pavilion has a 920 square foot array of 60 Sharp 167 W panels using two FRONIUS IG 4500-LV inverters. The solar system is monitored using a Fronius data communications solution that includes a FRONIUS IG Datalogger and 31 in. public display. The purpose of the system was not only to cut peak demand and save energy but also serve as an educational tool for the more than 200,000 people that visit the park each year.

"The value of these public installations is not only to demonstrate the practical energy savings that can be achieved using PV but also the educational component that is associated with such systems," says Mitchell Berman, GeoGenix, "As an option Fronius offers a simple plug & play data communications solution that monitors and analyzes the systems performance. It's a great learning tool for the classroom and the professional".

Fronius recently introduced a number of new IG inverters that offer same high efficiency, established high reliability, and intelligent thermal management that has made Fronius a leading choice for high reliability inverters used in grid-tied photovoltaic systems. The Fronius IG Series now includes the most useful range of inverters between 2 and 5.1 kW. At 26 and 42 lbs., the FRONIUS IG inverters are between one-third and half the weight of competing inverters. Built-in DC and AC disconnects eliminate the need for external breakers in many cases, reducing total system costs. All components are conformal dipped make them resilient in even the harshest climates. FRONIUS IG inverters come standard with an integrated LCD where the installer can view and record over 20 parameters pertaining to inverter and system operation. Optional remote data communications and data logging features can easily be added via Plug-n-Play cards to transform IG inverters into a sophisticated data acquisition system and weather station.

About Fronius
Fronius International GmbH is a world market leader in high frequency welding technology and one of the leading photovoltaic inverter manufacturers. Headquarters in Wels, Austria, the US subsidiary, Fronius USA LLC, with offices located in Brighton, Michigan and Santa Barbara, California. Fronius has over 50 years of experience in developing innovative power conversion technologies and employees over 1350 globally. Fronius was founded in 1945 and has developed a revolutionary inverter concept that is used for both grid-tied as well as stand-alone solar systems. Over 100,000 Fronius solar inverters have been installed worldwide. Fronius Solar Electronics Division is supported through an international network of sales partners.