In their first venture into the realm of solar installations, CIR Electrical Construction Company recently completed a grid-connected Solar Electric Photovoltaic (PV) system on a house on Winter Street.
CIR Electrical joined forces with PUSH Buffalo to help create this NetZero, self-sustaining residence. The home, which is located only a few blocks away from the Massachusetts Avenue residence that was featured on ABC’s Extreme Home Makeover, will be yet another step in transforming the West side.
“These solar electric systems are on the cutting edge of green power technology,” said Craig Bongiovanni, sustainable projects administrator. “I’m sure we’re just scratching the surface with this project, and there’ll be plenty more like this down the line.” Working alongside Triangle Electrical Systems of Plattsburgh, NY, CIR helped design the installation which will integrate into the existing electrical grid. This way, the existing grid will still generate power on cloudy days as needed. However, the PV system also has the potential to generate a surplus of power. In that case, the excess energy will be returned to the grid and the customer will receive a credit on their account.
“PV systems really benefit everyone involved” said Bongiovanni. “The more self-sustaining homes we have, the better it is for the community and the environment. We’re excited that CIR is able to be part of this movement.”
CIR Electrical currently has three employees who are trained in PV installation. This allows the company to be listed on NYSERDA’s eligible PV installer list, which will open up opportunities for more projects like this in the future. CIR hopes to continue to offer these energy-efficient installations to homes and businesses in the area.