CGK Farm 13.6 kW Barn

The CGK farm is a property shared by three families passed down several generations in Greenhills, PA just outside the Reading area. The barn adjacent to the main house was built in 1854 and previously owned by local farmers George & Mary Frees.

When the time came to invest in electrical upgrades to the cherished family property both the southern orientation and size of the metal roof on the barn made for a perfect case for a solar array.

The barn sits 150 yards from the main utility meter, so trenches needed digging to allow for system wiring.

After Engineering review, even though the barn roof had been rebuilt 20 years prior by a local contractor, reinforcement beams were added to the structure to provide for the additional load added by the solar panels.

Given that the barn had a metal roof with trapezoidal exposed-fastened profiles, the S-5! SolarFoot worked seamlessly. Ironridge L-feet with XR-1000 anodized rail were then utilized for the full mounting system. 

Canadian Solar 325 W, 72 cell modules were selected for their high production yield, sleek aesthetics, and durability. Finally, two SMA Sunny Boy 6 kW inverters with monitoring and an added Cellular LTE Modem card, given the lack of internet connection on the property, were deployed for the roof-mounted array.

Fortunately, Greentech Renewables had stock just 45 mins from the property in Stroudsburg, PA. This location was used to service the project with timely deliveries on their own trucks. When a rail length issue arose after delivery, a new shipment was sent out the same day to rectify the situation which minimized the lost time and cost.

The solar array seamlessly fit into the look and feel of the property.

Bryan Kearney of Kearney Energy Solutions did a fantastic job working with the property owners, guiding them through the decisions that had to be made prior to construction. He then followed the engineering designs and completed the 13.6 kW, 52-panel project, in just a few days. All along he afforded the comfort needed that only an experienced contractor with solar expertise could provide when installing solar on a 160+-year-old barn.