If you're familiar with the history of Nantucket, you know the island established its place in the world as a whaling town. Beginning around the late 1600's, local Nantucketers would traverse the world around in ocean voyages lasting multiple years at a time.
Nantucket's whaling history is so extensive that the legacy of the connection between island and animal is still alive today. Houses are named with whale-puns in mind, hedges are cut in the shape of the mammal in the Nashaquisset neighborhood and in front of the Handlebar Cafe, and the whale is even represented as the Nantucket High School mascot.
Yes, whaling is at the heart of Nantucket's history, but would you believe it's just as relevant for its future?
Even though the once lucrative practice of whaling is long since abandoned, the iconic imagery of the whale plays a key factor in the technology of ACK Smart Energy solar installations.
Remember our conversation about the Sense App? Check it out here. This app allows you to see in real time where your energy output is going, how much is being generated, and all the data relating to the solar process in between.
How does this relate to the future of Nantucket and whaling?
The work that ACK Smart Energy does is a direct appeal to the longevity of this island. It's no secret that all over the planet, communities are needing to take a hard look at how their personal decisions and consumption will stunt the long-term viability of our planet. ACK Smart works to convert Nantucket to energy independence because we want this island to have a long, prosperous future.
So where does the whale come in?
Take a look at the chart below that details property energy production and consumption, specifically the orange line. This marks the amount of energy flowing out of the inverter. If you notice the trend, it shapes itself into a perfect whale outline.
As your property's solar array generates energy, it begins to flow out of the inverter and back into your home, represented visually in what is the hump of a whale. As you can see, the peak of energy seems to be produced between 11 am and 1 pm.
Now examine the chart data to see that there is a clear and sudden spike in energy flow from the inverter around 5 o'clock in the evening, or the whale tale if you will. As any Nantucketer would be able to attest, the sun is long gone by the time the early evenings come around. This energy isn't coming directly from the sun, but from a backup battery installation.
Essentially the grid is pulling energy back from the battery to help meet Nantucket's peak demand between the hours of 5:00 and 7:00 pm. Note that there is no power flowing out of the inverter before 9:30 am and 11:00 am, as those first few hours of solar power are being used to recharge the battery. The energy production begins to wane as necessary, completing the tale of our whale and another example of total energy independence.
And don't think just because this isn't an actual whale that it doesn't still provide compensation for Nantucketers. ACK Smart homeowners that participated in the Connected Solutions program this summer have been receiving an average return of $1000 for their solar battery usage this past summer.
Connecting Nantucket's storied past to its bright future is exactly the line of business ACK Smart loves to be in. We encourage you to think about making solar a part of your island life and contact ACK Smart Energy about energy independence, the Connected Solutions program, and modern "whaling" on Nantucket.
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