Abound Solar Expands and Develops Test Site at Centerra
A world-class renewable energy company, Abound Solar, has expanded its northern Colorado presence in Centerra, located at the intersection of Interstate 25 and U.S. 34 in Loveland.
Abound Solar recently expanded from 7,500 square feet of office space at 2695 Rocky Mountain Avenue, Rangeview Two, to 14,267 square feet of space. Their Certification and Reliability lab, also located at Centerra in the Precision Drive Business Park, will expand by 8,000 square feet from its current 3,600 square feet in the coming year. More recently, they established an outdoor solar module testing site southeast of the lab, next to I-25.
The Abound lab works directly with its manufacturing facility in Longmont, which opened in April 2009 to produce photovoltaic modules in volume. Additionally, the lab is certified by Underwriters Laboratories (UL) to perform witness testing, meaning it meets the highest standards for safety and compliance in the industry.
The new outdoor test site is the first power generation facility in Centerra. The proximity to the lab allows for quick testing of modules and immediate performance monitoring in a field environment. The site also allows technicians to implement immediate changes to the ten rows of eight tables, which are installed at a fixed angle. Each row holds 160 modules, which generate roughly 70 watts per module. The field will be fully populated over the next three to six months. Once populated, the site will produce about 100 kilowatts (kW) of peak power, or enough power for about 30 homes. Abound has enough space at the site to install up to 400 kW over the next several years. To date Abound Solar and the City of Loveland have not determined how the power generated will be used.
“Expanding within Centerra allows us to meet our company goals in product distribution growth and system compatibility and knowledge,” said Larry Knipp, director of systems engineering for Abound Solar. “Our expanded office space, lab space and outdoor test site in Centerra allow us to bring our photovoltaic modules to market more quickly and ensure high quality.”
“Abound Solar remains at the forefront of renewable energy and their new solar array test facility and recent lab expansion contributes to the long-term commitment to sustainable practices at Centerra,” said Ron Kuehl, McWHINNEY vice president of real estate. “As a fast-growing company which has added a significant employment base at Centerra and Loveland, our diverse product types of office and flex space, in addition to our open space, allow us to accommodate companies with fast growth rates and immediate needs.”
Developed at Colorado State University (CSU) with the support of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Abound Solar is a manufacturer of thin-film photovoltaic (PV) modules. Abound Solar’s proprietary technology enables the production of low-cost PV modules and significantly reduces the cost of generating solar electricity. Large-scale production capacity continues to accelerate to meet the fast growing demand for solar energy.
For more information regarding Abound Solar, please visit www.abound.com. For more information regarding Centerra, please visit www.centerra.com.
