AEG Power Solutions and Kennesaw National Battlefield Park Preserve History by Preserving the Earth

“The Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park is meant to preserve history,” said Kaivon Mortazavi, VP, North America for AEG Power Solutions. “However, in order to preserve historical monuments such as Kennesaw, we must also do our part to preserve the environment. As part of a historically significant company, it was important for all of us at AEG Power Solutions to develop a truly effective sustainable solution to power Kennesaw for future generations.”

The entire rooftop solar system on the Kennesaw Visitor Center consists of 288 modules from Georgia-based panel manufacturer Suniva. AEG PS leveraged its unique power solutions expertise to engineer the PV system to maximize the output. In order to account for the visitor center roof’s differing height and pitch throughout the surface area, AEG PS designed the PV panel placement to maximize long-term sun exposure and minimize shading effects.

“The National Park Service and Kennesaw Mountain officials recognized the importance of being able to maximize the output of their renewable energy installation and we couldn’t have been happier that they asked us to design, engineer and install a system that could achieve all of their goals,” said Mortazavi. “Taking the proper steps and making the right design decisions when creating a solar system is crucial to maximizing your return on investment as well as proving that solar is a viable alternative energy platform.”

In addition to installing a new solar system, AEG PS retrofit LED lighting throughout the visitor center. The LED lighting will help the national park cut costs by lowering the power consumption. In addition, because the lamps were retrofit, AEG PS was able to minimize installation hard costs by preserving the existing lighting fixtures. On average, LED lighting consumes less than half the power than that of traditional fluorescent lights and can last up to 60,000 hours (more than six times the lifespan of traditional fluorescent lighting).

“Our technical knowledge of renewable power solutions and our ability to apply that to what Kennesaw Mountain officials were trying to achieve is what helped us stand out,” said Walt Marusak, senior project manager, AEG Power Solutions. “In the end, we were able to create an incredibly efficient and effective sustainable infrastructure and reduce the center’s environmental impact while allowing them to take full advantage of their investment. It was a great collaborative effort and we can’t wait to watch their electric usage decline while their energy generation soars.”

The installation was featured in a presentation for National Park Service facility managers on November 18 which allowed them to see the installation first-hand as well as learn more about the projected results. Due to having one of the highest visitor counts of all Civil War-related national parks in the United States, Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park will serve as a demonstration for future renewable energy implementations in other national parks across the United States.

AEG PS implements and supports turnkey solar systems that enable places such as commercial buildings and industrial parks to utilize clean, renewable energy. Its solar systems feature solar panels, solar inverters, monitoring, diagnostics and communications equipment, all of which can be supported by smart-grid-enabled standards and can be monitored and maintained by AEG PS. As a Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA) and Green Grid member, AEG PS is dedicated to providing its customers with renewable energy alternatives, such as solar, which will decrease environmental impact as well as reduce energy costs. With energy conservation and other green practices emerging as a critical part of day-to-day operations, AEG PS helps educate companies on the promise of renewable energy systems and leads them toward a greener tomorrow.