Alternative Power Solutions – Colorado Springs, CO

Anderson Liberty Ranch of La Veta, CO is a sprawling property with picturesque views of the Spanish Peaks and open Colorado sky. The nine-bedroom lodge maintains many modern comforts in pristine and rugged surroundings. But, places this pristine don’t always offer the most reliable power infrastructure.

The ranch operates amenities that include a hot tub, sauna, steamer, boiler, and water pumps on a volatile, underperforming utility connection. Energy reliability for the property would only come with energy independence, which would require a microgrid with enough backup capacity to alleviate all power volatility. That was when solar installer and owner of Alternative Power Solutions, Rob Bennett, was tapped to deploy a strong and sustainable alternative.

This took an impressive system that utilizes critical microgrid components and a total of six, two-pole MT Solar mounts, each supporting sub-arrays consisting of 30 6X5 PV modules. The 71 kW installation also includes a 224 kWh battery energy storage system and an 80 kW LP generator supplying a 400 Amp 1PH 120/240V load center.

Rob’s choice of MT Solar for this installation’s solar racking, which he described as the “industry best for this application”, was integral to delivering the right combination of robustness and reliability. Apart from high-endurance PV module support, the manual tilt adjuster on each solar mount is a notable feature. Now, the ability to maximize year-round energy production is directly in the hands of ranch management.