ACE, LLC. SOLAR: Powering the Tennessee Valley

The solar system located at International Fire Protection in Madison was installed by ACE, LLC. SOLAR. (RECORD PHOTO/ALDO AMATO)

By Aldo Amato

Staff Reporter

MADISON — A local company is transforming the way North Alabama businesses and now homeowners power their buildings.

ACE, LLC. SOLAR energy contracting company, based out of Pulaski, Tenn., opened an office in Huntsville just over a year ago. The company specializes in renewable and solar energy for residential, commercial, industrial government and non profit entities.

“We are housed in the Redstone Energy Park where it produces power and put’s it back in the TVA grid,”  CEO Chuck Boggs said. “Huntsville Utilities pays us for the energy that produced.”

A 136.7 megawatt system is powered out of the park and has been up for a year. The park, located at 3615 Memorial Parkway South, serves as a demonstration site for businesses and homeowners looking for new ways to power their building or home.

“The solar system in general, pays for itself in about 7 years and is good for about 35 years,” Boggs said. “That is where the savings comes in at.”

Boggs put the power of solar energy into perspective by demonstrating how a 50 kW unite can power seven homes per year. The park itself is a 136.7 kW facility and can power around 480 homes a year. Each unit must be installed facing southeast and have no obstructions to the sunlight.

Recently, a 50 kW system was installed in Madison at the International Fire Protection Inc. facility. However, Boggs said the state as a whole is way behind when it comes to solar energy.

“Alabama is behind everyone else,” he said. “California is full of solar, Arizona is full of solar and Alabama is just now catching up. So we look to be very busy for the next 40 years.”

For more information on ACE, LLC. SOLAR, call 256-319-3420