Sunny Tripowers prevent electric bill from eating up food company’s profits

When Hayward, California-based Tiao Peng Trading Inc.—a large-scale wholesaler, importer and distributor of Asian foods—learned how much its competition was saving once going solar, it didn’t waste time covering its own roof with panels. The process was quick and easy with Vista Solar, which designed and installed a ballasted, non-penetrating solar array within a few short weeks, virtually eliminating Tiao Peng’s electric bill.

Project Details

Sunny Tripower inverters generate nearly all the power required by Tiao Peng.

Commissioned in January, the 176 kW system covers about 40 percent of Tiao Peng’s 65,000-square-foot roof. It comprises 543 Suniva 325-watt panels mounted on Unirac RM, as well as one Sunny Tripower 20000TL-US and five Sunny Tripower 24000TL-US transformerless, three-phase string inverters. “Reliability, performance and company stability all played a role in choosing SMA for this project,” said Spencer Wells, Project Developer for Vista Solar, based in Santa Clara, California. “The Sunny Tripower inverters will allow Tiao Peng to achieve its renewable energy and financial goals long-term.”

Positive Cash Flow from Day One

The energy production and financial savings that the system has and will continue to generate are even more than Tiao Peng could have imagined. By taking advantage of substantial federal tax credits, the system has been cash-flow positive from the start and will pay for itself in less than three years. It is expected to generate 285,874 kWh per year, offsetting more than 99.5 percent of the facility’s electricity use and over 200 tons of carbon emissions, the equivalent of powering 27 homes annually. That will save Tiao Peng $61,597 in electricity costs each year and more than $2.1 million over the life of the system. Now that’s savings that its competitors will envy.