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Baltimore Ravens, Constellation Add Solar At Team’s HQ

Competitive retail energy supplier Constellation recently joined the Baltimore Ravens to flip the switch on a new 400 kW solar generation project at the football team’s headquarters and training facility in Owings Mills, Md.

“The Ravens have worked hard to be a model of sustainability for the NFL and our fans, and this project has enabled us to extend that effort to the Under Armour Performance Center,” says Ravens President Dick Cass. “We look forward to continuing to work with Constellation to promote renewable energy and make a positive difference in our community and for the environment.”

According to Constellation, the new solar energy system consists of approximately 1,210 photovoltaic panels, located on the facility’s field house and grounds-keeping building, and is expected to generate approximately 460,000 kWh of electricity in the first year of operation - approximately 15% of the team headquarters’ electricity needs.

“The Ravens are a recognized sustainability leader, and Constellation is proud to help them further their efforts by powering their headquarters with energy from Constellation’s solar power system,” says Mark Huston, president of Constellation Retail. “We are committed to advancing renewable energy in Maryland and are pleased to team with the Ravens to showcase the benefits of smart energy strategies to all Ravens players, employees and fans.”

Constellation owns and operates the solar power system, while the Ravens will buy the electricity generated by the solar panels from Constellation under a 20-year power purchase agreement. The project also expands Constellation’s role as a solar energy producer in Maryland, where the company operates more than 60 MW of solar projects to date.

The project is the latest in a long series of environmental initiatives by the Ravens. Constellation says it was the first NFL team to earn a LEED-certified Gold designation by the U.S. Green Building Council for its sustainability efforts at M&T Bank Stadium, and the team has worked with Constellation to match the electricity used during “Green Games” through the purchase of Green-e Energy certified wind renewable energy certificates.

 

IKEA To Host Tennessee’s Largest Rooftop Array

Home furnishings giant IKEA has announced plans to install a solar energy system atop its Memphis store opening late fall. According to the company, the project will be the largest rooftop solar array in Tennessee.

The store’s 250,675-square-foot solar array will consist of a 1.46 MW system, built with 4,424 panels. For the development, design and installation of IKEA Memphis’ customized solar power system, IKEA selected Atlanta-based Hannah Solar, and Linkous Construction is managing the site work and building of the store. Panel installation will begin this summer, with completion expected in early fall.

“We are excited about furthering our sustainability commitment with solar panels on the future Memphis store,” says Lars Petersson, IKEA U.S. president. “At IKEA, we have a mission to create a better everyday life for the many, and IKEA Memphis can add to this goal with Tennessee’s largest rooftop solar array.”

This installation will represent the 44th solar project for IKEA in the U.S., contributing to the IKEA solar presence atop nearly 90% of its U.S. locations, with a total generation goal of more than 40 MW. IKEA owns and operates each of its PV energy systems atop its buildings and globally allocated $2.5 billion to invest in renewable energy through 2020. Consistent with the goal of being energy independent by the end of the decade, IKEA has installed more than 700,000 solar panels on buildings across the world and owns approximately 300 wind turbines, including 104 in the U.S.

 

DTE Energy Starts Installing Panels For Two Projects

DTE Energy has installed the first of nearly 200,000 total solar panels to be located at the company’s two solar projects in Lapeer, Mich.

The utility says the bigger of its Lapeer projects, located on approximately 150 acres off Demille Road, will be 30 MW - more than 15 times larger than any current solar installation in Michigan. The second project, at 18 MW, is located off Turrill Road on 100 acres of land. All of the power generated by these facilities will be fed into the energy grid.

“DTE Energy is Michigan’s leading provider of solar energy, and the Lapeer solar projects further our commitment to clean energy. Through the development of renewable energy projects, like solar, we are building a more sustainable future for Michigan and providing affordable, reliable, safe and clean energy to our customers,” says Irene Dimitry, vice president of business planning and development for DTE Energy.

“The City of Lapeer is honored to join DTE in celebrating this milestone,” says William Sprague, mayor of Lapeer. “We are proud of Lapeer’s contribution to bringing more green energy to Michigan and to creating a cleaner environment for our community and for the state.”

According to DTE, the Lapeer solar projects will create approximately 150 temporary jobs during construction and more than five permanent jobs once they are operational. The projects are expected to be completed by year-end.

In addition to the Lapeer installations, the utility has three more solar projects currently under development in Ypsilanti, at the GM Warren Transmission plant and in Detroit. DTE Energy says these five solar projects will position the company to exceed the state’s renewable portfolio standard.

 

3.9 MW Solar Project Goes Online At National Lab

PSEG Solar Source, the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) and other stakeholders have dedicated the PSEG Lawrence Livermore Solar Center. The 3.9 MW project features 12,720 solar panels and occupies 10 acres in the northwest corner of the laboratory’s site, which is about 40 miles east of San Francisco.

The Western Area Power Administration has a 20-year contract to purchase the electricity the solar farm produces. At its peak, the solar facility will provide about 5% of the electricity used by LLNL.

“This effort is a great example of the federal government leading by example,” says Federal Chief Sustainability Officer Christine Harada. “The Lawrence Livermore Solar Center will provide the DOE with cost-effective solar power for years to come - a great accomplishment in support of the administration’s climate vision for our country.”

“We are delighted to be part of a project that will provide clean energy to one of the world’s leading research and development institutions,” adds Diana Drysdale, president of PSEG Solar Source.

juwi solar Inc. was the engineering, procurement and construction contractor for the Livermore project and operates the system. PSEG Solar Source notes it operates 13 facilities in nine states with a total capacity of 152 MW and has another four solar facilities under construction, which will expand its portfolio to 315 MW.