City and county governments across the nation are tapping solar panels
from SolarWorld,
the largest U.S. solar manufacturer for more than 35 years, to power
vital public services. At hospitals, administrative buildings,
waste-water treatment plants and jails, forward-looking municipalities
have installed nearly 2.5 megawatts of the company’s high-performance,
American-made solar
panels since April, recognizing their ability to save taxpayers
millions of dollars in energy costs and make substantial contributions
to environmental quality.
In May, California's Santa Barbara County dedicated a 1-MW solar array at its Camino Real campus, home of its jail, sheriff's department, three public hospitals and several administrative offices. Photo courtesy of Endelos Energy.
In May, California’s Santa Barbara County dedicated a 1-MW solar array
at its Camino Real campus, home of its jail, sheriff’s department, three
public hospitals and several administrative offices. Endelos Energy of
Buellton, Calif., designed the project and installed its 4,500 SolarWorld
solar panels on a hillside overlooking state Highway 101 and the
Pacific Ocean. The system is expected to offset about one-third of the
campus’ energy needs, saving an estimated $12 million over the life of
the system and reducing the county’s carbon-dioxide emissions by
millions of pounds.
"This solar installation represents a tremendous investment in Santa
Barbara County’s economic and environmental future,” said Roy Hapeman,
the county’s energy manager. "We selected solar panels from SolarWorld,
a company that has been manufacturing high-quality products in the U.S.
since 1975, to ensure an excellent return on that investment over the
next 25 years.”
Local officials in Baltimore, Md., unveiled a 1-MW ground-mounted solar
installation at the city’s Back River Wastewater Treatment Plant in
April. The solar installation is expected to save more than $6 million
over the life of the project and help the city reach its goal of
generating 30 percent of its own electricity. The solar system is part
of a comprehensive energy-savings program through Johnson Controls, a
global leader in delivering solutions that increase efficiency in
buildings. The program includes enhancements to multiple Baltimore
municipal facilities, such as courthouses, fire stations and office
buildings.
In the city of Galena, Ill., a 368-kilowatt solar installation featuring
SolarWorld solar panels is under construction at the municipal
waste-water treatment plant. The photovoltaic system, designed and
installed by SolarWorld Authorized Installer Eagle Point Solar of
Dubuque, Iowa, will go live by early August. It is expected to offset
half of the facility’s energy needs and save the city almost $500,000
over the next 25 years. The system is Eagle Point Solar’s second
municipal installation in the last 12 months, following on the heels of
an array comprised of 203 kilowatts worth of SolarWorld solar panels on
the roof of the City Operations Center in Dubuque, Iowa, in late 2011.
"The prevalence of these municipal solar arrays in communities from
coast to coast signals the arrival of solar technology as a vital power
source for mainstream civic life,” said Kevin Kilkelly, president of
SolarWorld Americas. "Progressive city and county governments are
embracing solar energy for its ability to produce not only measurable
reductions in greenhouse-gas emissions but to guard against rising
energy costs, saving millions of taxpayer dollars.”
About SolarWorld (www.SolarWorld.com):
SolarWorld (ISIN: DE0005108401) is a worldwide leader in offering
brand-name, high-quality, crystalline silicon solar-power technology.
The company’s strength is its fully integrated solar production. From
silicon as the raw material through wafers, cells and panels all the way
to turn-key solar systems of all sizes, the group combines all stages of
the solar value chain. The central business activity is selling
high-quality panels into the installation and distribution trades and
wafers to the international solar cell industry. Group headquarters are
located in Bonn, Germany, with sales sites in Singapore, South Africa,
Spain, France as well as in the U.S. state of California. The group’s
largest production facilities operate in Freiberg, Germany, and
Hillsboro in the U.S. state of Oregon. Sustainability is the basis of
the group strategy. Under the name Solar2World, the group supports
community aid projects using off-grid solar-power solutions in
developing countries, exemplifying sustainable economic development.
Worldwide, SolarWorld employs about 3,300 people. SolarWorld AG has been
quoted on the stock exchange since 1999 and today is listed on, among
others, the TecDAX and ÖkoDAX as well as in the sustainability index NAI.
Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=50310624&lang=en
