Photovoltaic news and pv jobs

US: City and county governments turn to PV

While the expectations of SolarWorld launching a Sino-EU photovoltaic trade case during Intersolar Europe begin to the fade, the company has highlighted projects in the U.S. where municipal governments are turning to photovoltaics.

SolarWorld said the local-government projects show how photovoltaics can save taxpayers' money.

In the last months, SolarWorld has supplied 2.5 megawatts (MW) of modules to local-government services across three states. SolarWorld has highlighted the development saying that local government officials and administrators are "recognizing their [PV’s] ability to save taxpayers millions of dollars in energy costs and make substantial contributions to environment quality."

In a media release, SolarWorld has highlighted projects in Santa Barbara County in California, the city of Baltimore in Maryland and Galena in Illinois. The projects have all been carried out on local government properties.

In Santa Barbara, SolarWorld has supplied 4,500 modules to a project at the Camino Real campus, where a jail, sheriff’s department, three public hospitals and administration offices are located. The ground-mounted installation, is worth one MW and was inaugurated in May.

A one-MW installation was unveiled in April at Baltimore’s Black River Wastewater Treatment Plant. The installation is a part of a wider energy-saving program.

The third installation announced by SolarWorld is located in Galena, Illinois and is currently under construction. Worth 368 kilowatts (kW), the array was designed and installed by Eagle Point Solar, which completed a 203 kW installation, again with SolarWorld modules, at the City Operations Center in Dubuque, Iowa, late last year.

"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," said Kevin Kilkelly, President of SolarWorld Americas, "saving millions of taxpayer dollars."