Douglass Colony Group has gone “green” by installing a 100kW photovoltaic (PV) rooftop solar system on its headquarters location in Commerce City, Colo.

DENVER - Douglass Colony Group has gone “green” by installing a 100kW photovoltaic (PV) rooftop solar system on its headquarters location in Commerce City, Colo. Commerce City’s largest solar rooftop PV system will be celebrated with a ribbon cutting ceremony at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, March 2. The Douglass Colony office is located at 5901 E. 58th Ave. (Corner of 58th and Holly) in Commerce City. Visitors will obtain rooftop access to see the systems firsthand and learn more about each system from our knowledgeable LEED AP’s.

This unique solar-electric system consists of a series of three rooftop solar-electric applications: crystalline-PV, thin film PV laminates, and solyndra cylindrical thin film modules. Each is connected to a separate power inverter and will be monitored individually to compare the performance of the various technologies.

No other solar integrator in Colorado has installed a system as large as the 100 KW solar-electric PV array that Douglass Colony has installed on its own roof.

The addition of the three different solar technologies will not only demonstrate the viability of incorporating solar on new and existing rooftops, but it also will also provide key information to aid in consumer decisions for rooftop solar applications. System output data from the three applications will be compared and analyzed to determine respective peak performance times, variability due to weather conditions, and other factors leading to optimal energy yields.

Kate Bechtholdt, Manager of the Solar Division at Douglass Colony Group, goes on to say, “This is an exciting opportunity for us to learn more about and compare three leading solar technologies, educate our solar customers through firsthand knowledge, lower our energy usage, reduce operational costs, and do our part to help the environment. Douglass Colony Group is committed to going “green” and offers many [solar] options for consumers to go “green” as well.”

The install will consist of three different technologies:

• Crystalline Photovoltaic Modules: These modules represent first generation of solar electricity technology. Crystalline Modules are the most established and most widely-adopted PV products available on the market. Crystalline products are a popular choice due to their highest sunlight-conversion efficiencies, demonstrated reliability, competitive price point, and application versatility. SolarWorld 245-watt modules, made in America, were chosen for this project.


• Thin Film Laminates: Thin-film laminates are flexible, lightweight and exceptionally durable. Thin-film products possess some distinct advantages such as better performance under low and diffused-light conditions, elimination of additional racking support, and quicker install times. For this project, UniSolar PV laminates were adhered directly to an EPDM roof.


• Solyndra: Solyndra’s cylindrical-shaped modules are designed to capture sunlight across a 360 degree photovoltaic thin-film surface. This shape allows the modules to capture direct, diffused, and reflected sunlight and convert it to electricity. These modules are ideal for white, reflective roofing, and because wind can blow right through them, there is no need for additional ballast.

Douglass Colony Group’s headquarter location is currently Silver LEED certified and has recently undergone an energy audit and lighting retrofit. The PV system will offset approximately 50 percent of the building’s electrical energy demand and save more than $10,000 each year.