The University Area Joint Authority, RETTEW, and PACE Energy this week formally opened a solar array in State College, Pennsylvania. The ribbon cutting event was held at the 9-acre site, which hosts 7,686 solar panel modules.
The result of a public-private partnership, the solar array will provide about 32% of the power needed to operate the authority. PACE Energy, based in Congers, New York, provided the project financing and owns the installment. Designed by RETTEW, an engineering firm based in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, the project’s general contractor was Solar Renewable Energy of Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, and the electrical contractor was Meadow Valley Electric Inc. of Ephrata, Pennsylvania. The authority will operate the 2.6-MW solar site, the largest solar array on municipal land in the Commonwealth.
About 50,000 customers in the State College area receive wastewater treatment services from the authority, which is known for its sustainable business practices and strategy. The authority was an inaugural recipient of the Utilities of the Future Today designation, awarded by a variety of professional water and environmental organizations to utility operations focusing on sustainability.
“This array will result in significant savings for the authority,” said Cory Miller, executive director at the authority. “It enables our operations, a critical component of this region’s infrastructure, to become more sustainable and provide additional benefits to our community.”
Construction began at the site in early fall 2017 for the $7 million project.
News item from RETTEW
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