Foley Power Solutions, a division of Foley Equipment, is now offering solar, microgrid, and energy storage systems from Caterpillar. The Cat Microgrid technology suite reduces fuel expenses, trims utility bills, decreases emissions, and lowers the total cost of ownership while boosting energy efficiency in challenging environments, the company said.
Interested in saving on energy bills, Foley Equipment built a Cat Microgrid on the roof of the company’s Kansas City, Mo., location. The 1,500 Cat-branded thin-film solar panels will produce 172 kw, about one-third of the building’s energy use. Installed by Cromwell Solar, the solar array is the largest onsite solar installation for a commercial business in Kansas City and is projected to pay for itself in five years.
Kansas City has 215 sunny days per year on average and Foley Equipment plans to use every sunny day to its advantage.
“With solar energy now 74 percent less expensive than five years ago, we are confident that going solar is the right decision,” said James Kerschinske, power solutions sales manager. “Commercial businesses are always searching for more ways to reduce costs and stay competitive and solar is a proven cost cutter.
As a Caterpillar dealer with nearly eight decades of experience, offering Cat renewable energy products and services is a logical next step for Foley. The Cat Microgrid products include environmentally friendly solar panels, state-of-the-art energy storage and advanced monitoring and control systems. Providing turnkey solar solutions and remote monitoring systems in the industrial, commercial and utility markets enables Foley Power Solutions to evolve with a changing environment.
The Cat Microgrid is designed to stand alone or integrate with Cat generators, on or off-grid designs and energy storage systems through the patented Caterpillar Microgrid Controller. Foley Power Solutions provides the Cat Microgrid Suite any combination of the following:
- Cat solar modules that capture more energy with Cat warranty;
- Energy storage such as ultracapacitors and lithium-ion batteries provide economical and advanced energy storage;
- Cat generators offer high power density, high-part load efficiencies and excellent capability to follow loads;
- The Cat Microgrid Controller that monitors and optimizes power usage in the Microgrid.
