HelioPower announces the successful completion of a 215.7-kW DC commercial photovoltaic system at the Southern California facility of SkyRose Ranch. The 215.7-kW system is augmented with PredictEnergy commercial energy management software. The cloud-based software provides real-time energy data with cost analysis capabilities to support SkyRose’s efforts to reduce their electricity consumption and energy costs. PredictEnergy helps ranch management optimize energy production and minimize the impact of peak electrical demands.

SkyRose Ranch is a homestead of 20,000 acres where they raise natural fed cattle, produce alfalfa, cultivate grain-hay and sponsor veterans’ programs through Serving California.

The installation used 1,014 solar PV modules with nine three phase inverters, which powered three main areas of the site including: Agriculture (AG) pumping and ranch facilities.

“We selected HelioPower because of the company’s long-standing reputation for delivering safe, high-quality and reliable products,” said Rick Scantlin, SkyRose Ranch manager. “SkyRose is one of the largest privately owned agricultural organizations in California. Our investment in solar energy is a great example of employing a sustainability strategy that reduces electricity consumption throughout our business.”

Solar PV can dramatically offset the need for utility supplied energy, however, in SkyRoses’s case, there was no way of knowing how well the remote systems were working and producing. By combining PredictEnergy with solar PV, and utilizing satellite based communications at the remote installations, SkyRose Ranch can now quantify and record system performance. PredictEnergy enables SkyRose Ranch to visualize operations from a cost perspective by supporting key business performance indicators. Facility operator’s control of the business is enhanced with greater efficiency and reliability, thus, becoming a natural extension of sustainable value, clean energy sources and reduced carbon emissions.

“Through high-level performing solar PV modules and the PredictEnergy energy software, SkyRose Ranch can quantify and optimize energy costs.” said Mike Murray, director of commercial operations, HelioPower. “This project demonstrates that our distributed generation strategies and predictive analytic tools work together to maximally reduce operational costs at SkyRose Ranch.”