Gov. Ralph Northam, D-Va., has announced the planned installation of solar projects at three state agency facilities.
Charlottesville-based Sun Tribe Solar submitted the winning bid for solar installations at the Virginia Department of Forestry headquarters in Charlottesville, the Virginia Public Safety Training Center in Hanover and the Haynesville Correctional Center on Virginia’s Northern Neck.
“As the price of solar installations continues to drop, Virginia’s solar industry has experienced a rapid expansion,” remarks Northam. “These solar projects will help our state agencies reduce their energy costs while transitioning toward more renewable energy deployment, which is an important goal of my administration.”
Collectively, the new projects represent over 1.3 MW of solar deployment. The Department of Forestry project will supply approximately 16% of the building’s electrical power needs, the Public Safety Training Center project will supply approximately 26% of the electricity used at the center and the Haynesville Correctional System will supply approximately 16% of the correctional center’s electric needs.
“These projects deliver on the governor’s promise of growing clean energy jobs in the commonwealth,” says Taylor Brown, Sun Tribe Solar’s chief technology officer. “Across Virginia, solar is going to work to save taxpayer dollars. We’re looking forward to working with the commonwealth, on these and hopefully future solar energy projects, to help Virginia meet its clean energy goals.”
The Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy (DMME) requested bids for the projects and worked with a program team to design and engineer them.
“These on-site solar projects open up market opportunities for private solar installation companies while providing the commonwealth with behind-the-meter generation to significantly reduce agency energy bills,” says John Warren, DMME’s director.
Installation of the Department of Forestry project will begin in February, with completion in early March. The installations in Hanover and Haynesville require additional lead time and will begin in April, with completion expected in May. All three systems will be built from components manufactured in the U.S.
