Location: Several locations on the East Coast of the United States
Year: 2019
Product: SunSaver SS-20L-12V
System size: 160W of solar and 108 Ah, 12V battery bank
Partners include: SunWize, Equipment & Controls [ECI]
Natural gas plays an increasingly important role in the U.S. energy portfolio. With its growth, safety remains a top priority for distribution and transmission utilities. Any issues must be detected and isolated quickly before there is any chance of failures that could lead to health or safety risks. For example, one of the largest fully-regulated utility companies in the United States serves approximately 3.5 million natural gas customers. It selected SunWize to design and build over 700 systems for monitoring low-pressure gas lines in several states across the East Coast, equipped with Class 1 Division 2 electrical components rated for use in hazardous locations (HazLoc). This network of systems allows the utility to greatly increase its monitoring and response capabilities for any abnormal pressure situations that may arise, allowing dangerous conditions to be identified and responded to much more quickly than previously.
The locations in which these systems were installed required components meeting UL/CSA Class 1 Division 2 certifications for areas where hazardous gases, vapors and liquids may accidentally exist, including hydrogen, propane, methane and gasolene. Naturally, SunWize selected the SunSaver as the solar charge controller due to its UL/CSA certification and field-proven reliability. Bussman fuses and fuse holders were used in place of circuit breakers to provide a cost-effective hazardous location-rated control panel. The systems also used one 160W rated Class 1 Division 2 solar module along with SunWize’s side-of-pole mount and C4 enclosure.