Pika Energy and GenPro Energy Solutions Team to Deliver Wind-Solar Hybrid Energy System to Ravenna Public Schools

    RAPID CITY, SD, April 23, 2015 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Pika Energy, a Maine-based manufacturer of residential wind turbines and wind-solar hybrid systems, and GenPro Energy Solutions, a South Dakota-based provider of customized energy solutions, announced they have completed the installation of a wind-solar hybrid energy system for Ravenna Public Schools in Ravenna, Nebraska. Funded by a private grant, it is the first integrated wind-solar hybrid installation in the country at a public school.

"I am excited to use this technology as an educational opportunity for our students," said Dwaine Uttecht, Superintendent of Ravenna Public Schools. "We are able to easily see the energy output for the wind turbine and solar panel and use them as a comparison with the traditional electricity consumption. We use this renewable energy at our Youth Center that is a safe place for students to work on homework and build relationships with their peers."

The hybrid system enables Ravenna Public Schools to generate power from two forms of energy - wind and solar. The installation includes a Pika T701 Home Wind Turbine and a ground-mounted solar array, connected in parallel to a Pika X3001 Hybrid Inverter. Rather than requiring a separate inverter for each energy source, Pika's REbus DC Microgrid enables Ravenna to combine both power sources to the utility AC grid through the larger central inverter. This approach is more economical, offers flexibility in site layout and design, and enables smarter grid management. Ravenna can access information about all of its renewable energy sources and electrical loads from a single web-based interface.

"The integration of multiple renewable technologies allows us to offer a solution for our clients that maximizes independent energy production," says Jeremy Anderson, GenPro's President who directed the installation team at Ravenna Public Schools. "Pika's system offers two renewable technologies that absolutely complement each other."

"Wind-solar hybrid energy systems are ideal for campus settings because they can make the most out of the resources available even on a small footprint. We are really proud to have our technology installed at Ravenna High School," says Ben Polito, President and Co-founder of Pika Energy. "In addition to generating clean energy, our REbus Microgrid lets students monitor energy production, and hopefully get excited about a career in renewable energy."

About GenPro Energy Solutions
GenPro Energy Solutions is a recognized leader in customized energy solutions. Based in Piedmont, South Dakota, it is the largest full-line renewable and energy efficiency dis-tributor in the Mid-West and is the region's foremost expert on renewable energy inte-gration and product offerings. GenPro aggregates systems and technology to respond to a need, partnering with municipalities, utilities, state and national governments and commercial businesses on projects ranging from the design and specification energy efficient lighting systems to the development of utility-grade solar energy production. GenPro has a NABCEP, SEI and ASES certified design team with hands-on installation ex-perience throughout North America. GenPro is currently supporting projects from Alas-ka to The Bahamas. For more information, please visit: www.genproenergy.com.

About Pika Energy
Founded in 2010 by MIT engineers, Pika Energy manufacturers a high-performance, cost-effective wind turbine for the residential market to help families cut their electric bills and reduce their environmental impact. Pika Energy's wind turbine runs on REbus , an intelligent energy network (microgrid) technology that makes it easy to build flexible, plug-and-play clean energy systems. The company's mission is to build distributed clean energy systems that give customers faster payback on their investment. For more in-formation, please visit: www.pika-energy.com.

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