Solar electric provider REC Solar has entered into two projects with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to design and install turnkey rooftop, ground-mounted and carport solar arrays for VA hospitals in California and Texas.
The contracts total 6.6 MW and include a 4 MW addition at the West Los Angeles Medical Center, bringing that total system size to 9 MW. Most of the new solar system will be installed on carports. The entire installation will include four rooftop systems and provide carport shelter in 11 parking lots for a total of 15 separate arrays.
The 2.6 MW installation at the Central Texas Veterans Health Care System in Temple, Texas, includes a 1.7 MW ballasted ground-mount structure sited on a reclaimed capped landfill owned by the VA and designed specifically to be suitable as a renewable energy source. The remaining 900 kW will be installed on five separate rooftops.
The modules for these projects will be supplied by Kyocera Solar Inc. and REC Solar US LLC, and the inverters will be furnished by Advanced Energy and PV Powered.
By summer 2012, the VA will have installed solar PV systems at five VA medical centers in support of its goal to increase renewable energy consumption to 15% of annual electricity usage by 2013.
