Broward County Animal Care and Adoption Center

Animal care facility in Broward County lowers utility costs by installing solar panels on its roof.

With a commitment to lower operating costs for energy consumption for Broward County agencies, reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and promote renewable energy in support of the County’s overall commitment to a healthy, sustainable environment and its development of programs and policies to support climate protection and energy conservation, the Broward County Board of Commissioners selected Advanced Green Technologies (AGT) to execute an Energy Services Agreement on the county’s animal shelter. Broward County Animal Care is a critical service for residents as it provides shelter for more than 150 homeless pets and helps reunite owners with their lost dogs or cat.

Solar Roof Scope of Work

To help the County reach its sustainability goals, AGT planned the installation of a 596-module rooftop solar system at Broward Animal Care and Adoption Center, which included processing permits and utility documentation; commission of the system; requesting bi-directional meter installation; and installing a 235.42 kW rooftop solar system. The system consisted of a DCE Solar hybrid ballasted racking system to support 596 Hanwha’s L – G5.3 395W’s, and three CHINT 60kW three-phase inverters interconnected to the supply side of the gear.

Overcoming Project Challenges

Coordinating the interconnection of the solar system can be a complicated process as it involves participation from several entities. In order to prepare the system, it must be shut down then interconnected, which involves the building owner, the authority having jurisdiction, the utility provider, and AGT. The process to plan for interconnectivity took three weeks to set a time and date that worked for all parties. Once confirmed, the interconnection was completed in six hours.

Solar Roof Project Competition

Working on a highly visible county structure, AGT was committed to providing a clean, safe, and minimally disruptive installation process which garnered praise from the client. Time was especially of the essence with this county project as it needed to be completed before the end of the year in order to receive a tax credit. The AGT team worked promptly and efficiently to complete the project, with the utility’s approval, on December 22, 2021, ahead of the deadline and under budget.

With its location in a popular industrial warehouse district and its prominence as the County’s animal shelter welcoming thousands of visitors through its doors each year, installing a solar rooftop system at the Broward County Animal Care and Adoption Center provided the additional impact of highlighting the benefits of solar to the public as well as local businesses in the area. AGT is proud to maximize any opportunity to educate our community about the impact we all can make in reducing our carbon footprint.