Army dedicates largest solar array at White Sands
Source: Associated Press
Army dedicates largest solar array at White Sands
By SUSAN MONTOYA BRYAN, Associated Press
Published 11:19 am, Wednesday, January 16, 2013
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — A missile range in southern New Mexico is now home to the U.S. Army's largest solar energy-producing system.
Army officials gathered at White Sands Missile Range on Wednesday morning to dedicate the $16.8 million array of more 15,000 solar panels spread across 42 acres.
The system is capable of producing 10 million kilowatt-hours of electricity each year. That's enough to meet about 10 percent of the military installation's electricity needs.
Garrison Commander Col. Leo Pullar says New Mexico, with its sunny climate, is an ideal site. He says the project is part of the Army's commitment to go green.
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1/16/2013 @ 2:10PM |154 views
U.S. Army Dedicates World's Largest Low-Concentration PV Facility
The U.S. Army dedicated its largest solar photovoltaic (PV) system to date at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico today. The 4.1 MW, $16.8 mn system covers 42 acres and utilizes almost 15,500 panels. It was developed in coordination with the U.S. Army Engineering and Support Center, Huntsville (Huntsville Center), Siemens Government Technologies, Inc., and Bostonia. The project is expected to provide annual savings of $930,000 and supply approximately 10% of the installation’s electricity requirements.
The US Armed Forces continue to make progress in reducing energy consumption and advancing alternative power sources. As Garrison Commander Colonel Leo Pullar noted in a press release “This project illustrates the U.S. Army’s commitment to going green, our focus on operating on net zero energy, and doing what we can to help protect the environment.”
Siemens will be responsible for operations and maintenance – under a 25-year contract – and will sell all energy generates to the Army facility for the same rate they are currently paying the local utility company. The Army, which was not required to make any capital investment in the project, will keep title to the associated Renewable Energy Credits (RECs) for complying with federal renewable energy mandates. The project is in line with the White House directive that federal agencies use Energy Savings Performance Contracts to make $2 billion worth of energy efficiency upgrades over the next year, as well as supporting the Army’s renewable energy goals.
The project is also the world’s largest low concentration photovoltaic solar power plant, and uses a ground mounted tracking system technology from Solaria which increases overall energy yield by up to 30% vs. a fixed mounted system.
More:
http://www.forbes.com/sites/peterdetwiler/2013/01/16/u-s-army-dedicates-worlds-largest-low-concentration-pv-facility/
