Geographic Database of
Renewable Energy Installations

2003

THE STELLA GROUP, LTD.

Scott Sklar, President
solarsklar@aol.com

Compiled by Todd Burns
toddrburns@yahoo.com

1. Florence - Two 30kW, PowerPort PV systems for TVA in Florence, Alabama have been built at the Water Treatment facility at Veterans Park. A second system was installed at the intramural fields at the Univ. of MISS in Oxford. The systems transform direct current power produced by the solar modules into 480 VAC 60, Hz, 3-phase utility-compatible power that is fed into the utility transformer. In this grid-interactive configuration, the PV system operates in parallel with the utility power plants to provide power to the grid during daylight hours.

Back to Table of Contents

1. Arizona Public Service Co. (APS) has installed a IMW concentrated soalr electric power system using DukeSolar non-imaging optics and Ormats’ organic cycle engine, the world's largest high-concentration photovoltaic (HCPV) solar project. The distributed, multi-site system will be rated at more than 500 kilowatts (half a Megawatt) and will produce enough energy to power more than 165 homes with an overall DC system efficiency at converting sunlight to electricity exceeding 17 percent.
   [http://library.northernlight.com]
2. Tucson - The city’s largest solar power generation facility activated at Tucson water’s Hayden/Udall Water Treatment Facility; 144-panels provide 72,000kWh of electricity annually to power several pumps and associated equipment; partnership b/w City of
   Tucson, TEP, SEPA and Tucson Coalition for Solar Energy; Funded partially by US $75,000 grant from SEPA and DOE.
3. Tucson - Tucson Electric Power Company (TEP) has activated the most recent additions to its record-setting solar array near Springerville, Arizona increasing the system's energy output to 2.4 MW. The Springerville Generating Station Solar System, which includes 22,276 photovoltaic panels spread out over 28 acres, remains the most powerful grid-connected solar array operating in the Western Hemisphere. It produces enough energy to meet the annual electric needs of 420 Tucson homes. TEP will continue to expand the system to meet a growing demand for green power. By the end of 2003, the site will be producing 3.2 MW. In 2004, the system will be expanded to 4 MW, surpassing the size of what is now the world's largest photovoltaic power plant, a 3.3 MW installation in Serre, Italy. [solaraccess.com — 12 December 2002]
4. Scottsdale - APS has constructed a solar electric power plant at Scottsdale Water Campus, which will feed 300 kW of solar energy- enough to provide for the electrical needs of up to 100 homes- to the electric grid. The plant was installed on top of water storage tanks.
5. Prescott - Arizona's largest electric utility, dedicated the first phase of the new Prescott Airport Power Plant, which will be one of the world's largest solar generating facilities when it opens in 2003. The plant will contribute 450 kilowatts (kW) of solar-generated electricity to the APS system when the plant opens. With the completion of Phase 1, scheduled for March 2003, 1.5 megawatts (1,500 kW) of electricity will be available to APS customers. APS plans increase capacity to 5 megawatts, enough power for over 2,000 homes, as the facility expands over the next three to five years. Impetus comes from RPS; APS was skeptical about generating solar power, but 2% of customers volunteered for the company’s Solar Partner’s Program, opting to pay $2.4/month for a 15kWh block of electricity generated by RE. [solaraccess.com — 8 November 2002]

Back to Table of Contents

1. Sacramento - The Municipal Utility District (SMUD), one of the largest public power electric utilities in the United States, reached a 10 MW milestone in installing photovolatics to meet the needs of 3300 homes. 1670 kW were installed in 2001 and SMUD has 500 kW interconnected with the electric utility grid as part of grid-support installations. SMUD has the world’s larges photovoltaic array at the former Rancho Seco nuclear power plant (3.9 MW) and the solar parking lot shade structure, a 540 kW Cal Export Solar port structure. [www.smud.org/pv]
2. Sacramento - A solar-thermal powered air-conditioning system was installed by Duke Solar in Sacramento, California, in 1997 using a 20-ton McQuay chiller similar to the installation will in Raleigh, North Carolina, in the second half of 2001, with a 50-ton Yazaki machine that has been modified to be powered directly by hot water and natural gas. The combined efficiency of the new solar collectors and double effect absorption chillers is about 60 percent — or more than four times the efficiency of standard evacuated collectors with single effect chillers.
3. San Diego - Shea Homes of CA in 2001installed photovoltaic (AstroPower, DE) and solar water heaters (SunSystems, AZ) in their San Diego housing development of 200 homes. This is the largest solar development in the U.S. AstroPower is the first photovoltaic company that markets its products through a national chain, Home Depot, in San Diego which is expected to be expanded throughout the west. [www.astropower.com]
4. PROPOSAL Indigenous Global Development Corp. announced plans to install up to 15 wind turbines in Contra Costa County. 15, 1.5MW wind turbines. [3 September 2002]
5. Dublin - Almost three acres of the Santa Rita Jail's rooftop in Dublin Calif. are now covered with photovoltaic solar collectors, expanding a previous 640 kW array to 1.18 MW and making the facility the largest rooftop solar installation in the U.S. PowerLight Corp. of Berkeley, Calif. installed the first solar array on the jail during the summer of 2001. To date, the combined project has reduced the facility's peak summer demand for grid-generated power by 35 percent. [http://cnniw.yellowbrix.com]
6. Sacramento - The California Department of General Services (DGS) and the Franchise Tax Board (FTB) today unveiled the largest state-owned solar electric rooftop installation in California at the FTB's headquarters in Sacramento. The 470 kW solar system - generating enough electricity to power the equivalent of more than 400 homes - will supply the Franchise Tax Board with nearly half of its energy needs, reducing expensive electricity purchases from the grid during peak demand periods. This solar-powered installation is anticipated to reduce emissions of nitrogen oxides by more than 9,000 pounds and carbon dioxide by more than 11,000 tons during its 25-year lifespan. These emissions reductions are equivalent to planting approximately 800,000 trees, removing 4,000 cars from the roadways, or not driving 50 million miles.
7. Novato- Prevalent Power has installed & developed a complete soar energy solution - grid connected 37.5kW solar system for a San Fransisco pet care provider. The system will pay for itself in 7 years and will replace 30% of energy consumption and reduce energy bills by 50%. One half of project is funded by state through the CPUC self-generation incentive program with another 25% paid for by fed and state tax incentives.
8. Los Gatos – An installation of a 10kW solar electric system for Congregation Shir Hadash has been completed. The system incorporates 77 Powerlight “Powerguard” modules and a 10kW Xantrex 3-phase inverter. Net metering allows the buildings’ excess electricity to be sent back to the utility for credit at the full retail rate. [www.ecoenergies.com]
9. Riverside - The first solar powered gas station was unveiled in Riverside- a first of a number of solar stations planned in Southern Cal. The new solar stations will feature solar PV panels atop pump island canopies, providing enough energy to supply approx. 20% of the site’s overall energy needs; that equated to 16kW of clean electric power, enough to supply electric power to 4 homes; BP has equipped more than 380 of its retails sites in 17 countries with solar capability.
10. Alameda County- The county has installed country’s largest solar system. Pacific Gas and Electric (PGE) presented Alaeda County with a check for $1.6million at the inauguration of its newly expanded solar PV system at the Santa Rita Jail; system rated At 1.18MW which is enough to power 1100 homes; 9726 panels on the jail roof and provides 30% of the jails daytime electric needs; County expects to save $15million over the 25 year life of the system.
11. Terrence - The largest commercial solar rooftop electric system in North America was built at Toyota Motor sales headquarters. The 501kW system can generate enough electricity during day to power 500 homes. ThinkEnergy of Maryland brought together Toyota and Powerlight and estimated that over the 25 year life of solar electric system, emissions will be reduced as follows: nitrous oxide 10,250 lbs. and CO2 by12,300 tons; covers 52,000 square ft. of South Campus with 3,300 solar elect. Powerlight’s Powerguard roof system used for the flat roof provides electricity while protecting the roof from effects of weather and UV radiation. [18 2002 September]
12. Los Angles - The largest solar electric rooftop system at any university in the world is installed at Loyola Marymount University in early 2003, providing a cleaner, more efficient source of electricity from California's famous sunshine. 723-kilowatt hours peak solar rooftop system. Estimated at a total outlay of more than $4.3 million, the project expense will be offset by rebates — $3.7 million from the LADWP, and $325,000 from the Gas Company — resulting in an actual cost to the university of only $325,000. The total project will generate roughly 880,000 kilowatt hours annually — producing enough clean electricity in the daytime to power more than nearly 150 homes in the Los Angeles area and resulting in an annual reduction of carbon dioxide emissions equivalent to driving a car more than two million miles -- or the amount that can be consumed by about 233 acres of trees annually. Construction is expected to be completed on all three facilities by April.
13. Del Mar - By the time the San Diego County Fair rolls around, the Del Mar Fairgrounds probably will be generating about one-sixth of the electricity it consumes. The fairgrounds in February will start installing about 7,000 solar panels on the roofs of 10 barns. Given the cost of electricity, officials expect the solar-panel system to cut the fairgrounds' annual energy costs by about $230,000. The fairgrounds spent $1.5 million on electricity in 2001. If energy prices climb as expected, the fairgrounds would save more. The fairgrounds consumed 9.86 million kilowatt hours in 2001; the system is expected to cut that by about 1.64 million kilowatt per year. Half the $4.8 million cost of the 1-megawatt photovoltaic system will be covered by a $2.4 million grant from the nonprofit San Diego Regional Energy Office. It will take the fairgrounds 10 to 15 years to pay off the rest.
14. Sacramento - Cal Expo installed a 400-kilowatt photovoltaic system in February 2002, and has seen a 50 percent decrease in its electricity bills. The Cal Expo fairgrounds occasionally bring in diesel-powered generators to help power large events such as the fair and the annual Holiday of Lights display.
15. Sant Cruz - Mission Hill Junior High, which sports eight solar panels on its roof, is the first public school in Santa Cruz County to have a sun-powered system tied to the state’s electricity grid. The system generates about 4 kWh daily, enough power for a classroom’s worth of lights, computers, and audio and video equipment.
16. Monrovia- A photovoltaic array is sending power to a southern California car dealership. The 60 kW array is installed on the roof of Sierra Autocars, a third-generation, family owned dealership. The array consists of 384 165-watt modules mounted on racks and two Xantrex inverters, according to Grant Vospher, 3 Phase Solar directors of sales.[December 5, 2002 SolarAccess.com]
17. Sacramento - The federal government approved a geothermal power plant in northern California, reversing an earlier decision, but required the developer to avoid areas important to environmentalists and American Indian tribes. The 48-megawatt Fourmile Hill project is needed because of the nation's and California's drive for more domestic and more renewable energy, said Assistant Secretary of the Interior Rebecca W. Watson. The plant will produce enough power for about 50,000 homes by drawing naturally heated water from the earth, then reinserting the water to be reheated and reused. Calpine estimates it will operate for 45 years.
18. Los Angeles - Under the management of California Associated Power, the system was recently installed at the Whole Foods Market store in Woodland Hills, California, making the company Los Angeles' largest major retailer and nation's largest food retailer to introduce solar energy as 25 percent of its power source. A 108 kW solar electric system to power the Woodland Hills store. The solar array is composed of solar electric panels covering 18,000 square feet on the store's roof. [14 November 2002]
19. San Diego - Navy Region Southwest announced today that it has deployed the largest federal solar photovoltaic system in the nation. This system is a unique solar electric carport at Naval Base Coronado in San Diego, which makes innovative use of existing parking space. The installation is comprised of two contiguous solar arrays, covering a half-mile long parking structure that serves US Navy personnel. In addition to providing shade for parked cars, the system generates the equivalent energy during the day to power over 935 homes. This 750 kW solar electric system will reduce the demand on California's power grid, as well as improve air quality by avoiding thousands of tons of polluting nitrogen oxide, sulfur dioxide and carbon dioxide emissions. This system is the latest RE generation system deployed by Navy region Southwest. Other installations include 3 solar electric systems totaling 130kW, wind generating capacity of 675kW on San Clemente Island, and 120 kW of micro-turbine technology at the Naval Base in Coronado.
20. San Diego - Environmental Services Operations Station administration building now operates on solar power, the city's first use of photovoltaic (PV) panels that will generate enough energy to operate a municipal building. The newly installed PV array consists of 468 panels with each panel generating approximately 140 W of electricity. The entire structure will produce approximately 91,950 kWh per year to power the administration building, which currently uses 87,000 kWh of energy per year. The city will save US$16,551 annually in energy expenses that would have been used to cover energy costs of this building. [solaraccess.com — 7 November 2002]
21. San Francisco - A $7.4 million project to install 5,000 solar electric panels atop the Moscone Convention Center in has begun.
22. San Francisco -Rainbow Grocery becomes the city’s first solar powered grocery store. The 10kW solar electric system will offset Rainbow Grocery's power consumed from the grid while a solar thermal system will provide hot water for use in the store. The system, located on the store's roof, will generate 25% of the store's energy. In addition to an attractive amortization period, the system will produce and save more than 547,500 kilowatt hours over 30 years. The system will also result in more than 500 tons of CO2 emissions avoided, the equivalent of removing 135 cars from the roadways.
23. San Francisco- The Examiner Pet Camp has become the third-largest energy generator in The City, after two power plants located in the Bayview and Potrero Hill neighborhoods. An estimated $300,000 solar-panel system was installed last week on the roof of the 13,000-square-foot kennel, allowing the Bayview business to generate much of its own energy. Expected to eliminate close to 80,000 pounds per year of such pollutants as carbon monoxide and nitrous oxide. That is equivalent to adding 11 acres of trees to the world's forests.
24. Davis - The largest rooftop solar panel system in the city has become operational, on top of the Brinley Building, 603 Second St. Brinley said the system cost about $300,000, but the family is receiving about half of that back in a rebates and deductions. [solaraccess.com — 30 November 2002]
25. Salinas – The Salinas Hospital has adopted solar power after erecting 1,008 solar panels to supply the hospital's Downing Resource Center, an office building on East Romie Lane, with power. By harvesting free energy for the building, the hospital estimates it can knock two-thirds of the cost off the center's Pacific Gas & Electric Co. bill. [solaraccess.com — 21 November 2002]
26. Ventura - In a major bid to plug into cheaper, "greener" energy sources, Ventura County has begun installing solar panels on fire stations and buying hybrid vehicles powered by gas and electricity. Twelve of the county's 31 fire stations are at least partly run on solar energy, and another dozen may join them soon. With rebates and state grants, it costs about $7,000 to install each solar system on a firehouse. The solar cells atop the county fire stations generate up to 25% of their daily electricity and are expected to save each facility an average of $1,000 a year on utiltity bills, Inger said. [ 11 November 2002]
27. San Diego - Mayor Dick Murphy has commissioned the city's first "energy independent" municipal building. The mayor recently opened the City's first use of photovoltaic panels that will generate enough energy to operate an entire municipal building. The photovoltaic panels are designed as two carports over the Operations Station's administration building parking lot. The newly installed PV array consists of 468 panels and each panel generates approximately 140 watts. The entire structure will produce approximately 91,950 kilowatt hours per year to power the administration building, which currently uses 87,000 kilowatt hours of energy per year. The City will save $16,551 annually in energy expenses that would have been used to cover energy costs of this building.
28. San Jose - Cypress Semiconductor is installing a solar electric generation system at its new headquarters in San Jose, to offset expensive peak power purchases. When completed, the system will be the largest PV facility in the Silicon Valley, generating electricity from its 336 kW rooftop array.
29. San Dimas - Wescorp has installed a PV system at its corporate headquarters, consisting of 154, 120-watt panels that cover 1900-square feet of roof space. It will generate from 14-18kW of power, providing up to 4% of the building’s peak usage. Wescorp said the California Energy Commission partially offset the cost of installation with a rebate of US$67,963.50. n The San Francisco International Airport has installed an array of building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) roofing panels to produce clean energy for the airport and its operations. The 20 kW array is capable of supplying a portion of the power needed at one of the airport’s support buildings. The system was designed and installed by Renewable Energy Resources (RER) using ECD’s UNI-SOLAR™ photovoltaic (PV) laminates. The peel and stick PV laminates were bonded to metal roofing pans and installed in modular units.
30. Marina del Rey - The United States Postal Service has dedicated the nation’s largest federal roof-integrated solar photovoltaic installation at its Marina Mail Processing and Distribution Center in Marina del Rey. The 127 kW system is capable of generating enough electricity to power 120 homes, and will reduce the demand on California’s power grid and improve air quality by avoiding thousands of tons of polluting nitrogen oxide, sulfur dioxide, and carbon dioxide emissions. The solar array, measuring 50x300 feet, produces clean power silently atop the roof of the postal facility and is virtually maintenance free.
31. Petaluma – On the roof of a resident’s garage, 214 solar panels provide electricity to charge four 2,500 lb batteries that supply power for the house.
32. Mendocino – The solar powered home of John Schaeffer has 15-kW solar arrays that provides about 50 kW/day. The solar electric panels are enough energy to power the entire house of 3000 sq. ft.
33. Santa Monica - Colorado Court, a 44-unit, 5-story building, now has a natural gas-powered turbine/heat recovery system that generates the base electrical load and also services the building's hot water needs. A PV system integrated into the facade and roof supplies most of the peak load. The projected annual savings in electricity and natural gas are an estimated $6,000. Compliance with an energy conservation policy will enable tenants to receive a cash rebate if they are under their monthly energy allowance.
34. Northern California - Officials of the Int’l. Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Union Local 332, the largest IBEW local in the northern part of the state, announced the completion of new headquarters featuring a number of green building features. The union hall’s PV system generates 55kW of power, enough to provide for 70-80% of the buildings total electrical needs. They have been able to cut their utility bill in half. In addition, California utility regulations allow the union to send extra power back to the grid.
35. Oroville – A 520 kW solar system has been installed at a wastewater treatment plant in by photvaics and geothermal enersy. The structure provides enough electricity to treat 80% of the wastewater at the facility.
36. Ft. Bragg – The Thanksgiving Coffee Company was granted funds under CA’s Transportation Fund for Clean Air to offset the cost differential between using biodiesel or petroleum diesel. It is the first private fleet in the state to use B100-pure biodiesel. CO2 emissions will be reduced by 80%; CO lowered by 44%; Cancer risk reduced by 90% from petroleum diesel; smog forming potential deceased by 50%.
37. Northridge - The installation of more than 3,000 solar panels at Cal State is expected to save the university more than $50,000 annually in energy costs. The $1.8 million Photovoltaic Project, one of the largest solar electric installations at a public university in California, was developed through a partnership with the university's Physical Plant Management Department, Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP), the Southern California Gas Company and Shell Solar Industries
38. Los Angeles - With a new breed of three small, efficient wind turbines, Daniel Scott was able to shrink his $600 /month electricity bill and provide a tiny assist with California’s energy problems. www.wapa.gov (2/28/03)
39. San Diego – The State University’s Mount Laguna Observatory recently collaborated with HPWREN and the Tribal Digital Village Network to provide high-speed Internet Access to the La Posta, Manzania, and Campo Native American reservations, located in southeastern San Diego county. In order to reach the remote reservations, solar-powered stations were utilized – as traditional electricity was not available for the relay sites.
40. Woodland Hills - A new 108- kW solar photovoltaic system was installed on the roof of a Whole Foods Market in Woodland Hills, California. The Los Angeles Dept. of Power and Water Solar Incentive program funded the installation.
41. Los Angeles – City Mayor Jim Hahn announced plans to build a 120-megawatt wind power facility on February 3, 2003. The Pine Tree Wind Project will be the largest municipality owned wind plant in the United States, producing enough power for more than 100,000 households. [Solaraccess.com — 6 February 2003]
42. Los Angles - Officials flipped the switch to begin operating a solar electric system at the historic Helms Bakery Building in Los Angles. The 20 kW system, installed atop a shade carport with the assistance of the LA Dept of Water and Power rebates, will provide clean, renewable electricity. It features 288 solar panels, and expected to save the facility US$ 5000 annually in electric costs. [Solaraccess.com — 4 February 2003]
43. Twenety-nine Palms - Two planned solar power installations, both greater than one megawatt in generating capacity, are to be installed at the Marine Air Ground Task Force Training Command in Twenty-nine Palms, California. They will be in addition to Tucson Electric Power’s existing 2.4-megawatt solar array at Springerville Generating Station in eastern Arizona. [EERE Network news 19 February 2003.]
44. Roseville – The installation and startup of a 22 kW solar photovoltaic generating system for a fire station in the City of Roseville, California has commenced. Electricity generated by the system reduces the fire station’s power consumption from the electric grid, especially during the summer.
45. Solano County - PacifiCorp Power Marketing is planning buy the entire output from the 150 MW High Winds power project to be built in northern California by FPL Energy. The project is to be located in Solano County and will use the company’s 1.8 MW wind turbines, the largest sold in North America. It is scheduled to be operating in the summer of 2003. [Solaraccess.com — 12 December 2002]
46. Los Angles - Loyola Marymount University will draw on 723 kW of solar power. The $4.3 million installation will cover 81,000 square feet of rooftop on three buildings at LMU’s Westchester campus. [EREN Network News 15 January 2003]
47. Mountain View - Beginning in January of 2003, Redjellyfish, a socially responsible long distance telephone company, will purchase 100 percent wind energy for its California and Minnesota offices. Redjellyfish will power itself with renewable energy by purchasing Green Certificates marketed by Phases Energy Services, in an amount equal to 100 percent of its energy use, or 15.9 MW per year.
48. Carlsbad - Onsite Energy Corporation has executed the Fourth Amendment to its Master Energy Efficiency Services Agreement with the City of San Diego to proceed with a comprehensive US$3.6 million energy project at the city's Police Department Headquarters building. The project will incorporate both energy efficiency measures designed to reduce consumption and solar photovoltaic (PV) and combined heat and power (CHP) systems that are expected to produce over 60 percent of the electricity that the building currently consumes. Under the Fourth Amendment, Onsite will deliver a turnkey energy efficiency project that is projected to save the city approximately one million kWh of electricity and 11,000 therms per year of natural gas and a CHP project that is expected to generate 3.5 million kWh of electricity and produce thermal energy in the form of hot water and chilled water that will displace energy that otherwise would be provided by the building's conventional systems. [solaraccess.com 18 March 2003]
49. Fresno - The largest rooftop solar electric system in the Central Valley was recently built. The 231 kWsolar system, mounted on the roof of OK Produce's distribution facilities in Fresno, was designed and installed by PowerLight Corporation of Northern California. [EINews 23 March 2003]
50. Orville - PG&E plans to present the largest renewable energy rebate in history, $2,342,000, to the Sewerage Commission-Oroville Region (SCOR) for its solar-powered wastewater treatment plant, at a public ceremony at on Earth Day, 2003 in Oroville, California. [http://www.solarbuzz.com/News/NewsNAPR209.htm]

Back to Table of Contents

COLORADO:

1. Colorado is home to 7 biomass key electric plants-biomass- which have a collective installed about 6MW.
2. Lamar – The proposed Lamar wind farm, will provide 162 MW of energy. It is an estimated amount of electricity for about 160,000 homes.
3. Denver - A fire station in Denver, Colorado will be the first in the state to receive power from a fuel cell system. The demonstration system is capable of generating 5 kW of electricity and 9 kW of heat. On December 4th, the Colorado Governor's Office of Energy Management and Conservation (OEMC) announced the installation of a proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell system at Washington Park Fire Station in Denver. The demonstration is a cooperative between OEMC, the City of Denver, Plug Power Inc. of Latham, New York, and Xcel Energy, Inc., the state's largest electric and gas utility. The fire station is OEMC's second fuel cell demonstration in 2002, and it will provide a portion of the facility's electricity and heat. [solaraccess.com — 5 December 2002]
4. A Colorado pork farm produces 40% of its own electricity from hog waste saving almost $7000/year.
5. Four rural electric cooperatives are now each operating one 4.5 kW fuel cell system. The H Power Corporation plans to continue installing systems at other cooperatives who are members of Energy Co-Opportunity, Inc. (an energy services cooperative that provides distributed energy solutions to U.S. electric cooperatives)
6. Cedar River - Working with Mark Paton of American Green Energy Solutions in Skandia, Mich., a family has installed several new solar photovoltaic panels this and a new Turbex wind turbine in December, 2002.
7. Fort Collins - A $9million 63,000 sq.ft. building designed as a “high-performance” building using the District’s Sustainable Design Guidelines, has been erected at Zach Elementary School. Using 100% wind energy, the school district will help avoid the burning of 670 pounds of coal and prevent 1200 pounds of CO2 emissions per student/year;

Back to Table of Contents

DAKOTAS:

1. 1) Basin River -Basin Electric power Coop and FPL Energy have reached agreement to build an 80MW wind energy project with 40MW in North and South Dakota. Basin electric will purchase the output of the projects, which is constructed, owned and operated by FPL Energy. It is scheduled to be operational by end of 2003. The North Dakota project includes constructing 11 miles of transmission line to connect wind farm to existing substation line, with capacity of 115,000volts. The South Dakota project is to be located in the service territory of another of Basin Electric’s Class A member-owner.
2. Chamberlain - Basin Electric and East River Electric Power Cooperative have jointly developed a 2.6MW wind farm near Chamberlain, South Dakota.
3. Brookings - Vera Sun Energy Corporation of South Dakota has completed financing and has begun construction on a 100 million gallon per year dry-grind ethanol plant near Aurora, South Dakota. When completed in the first quarter of 2004, the plant will process more than 35 million bushels of corn annually, creating a new local corn market of more than US$70 million. The plant will employ 50-60 skilled personnel with an annual payroll of more than US$ 3 million. [solaraccess.com — 03 February 2003]
4. Minot - Basin Electric Power Cooperative helped dedicate two new 1.3 MW wind turbines near Minot, North Dakota. [solaraccess.com — 12 December 2002]
5. Belle Fouche – The Community Center in South Dakota has installed 15 ground-coupled heat pumps to heat and cool the auditorium, weight room, racquetball court and swimming pool. The municipal water system serves as the heat sink.

DELAWARE:

1. Sussex – The Sussex Central Middle School is raising funds for an additional 600 watts for a total system size of 1.2 kW to be used to connect to the grid system.

DISTRICT OF COLuMBIA:

1. The National Park Service, which manages the White House complex, installed a 9 kW solar electric (also known as “PV” or “photovoltaic”) system, as well as two solar thermal systems that heat water used on the premises. Solar Design Associates of Harvard, Massachusetts designed and oversaw the installation of the systems. One hundred sixty seven solar electric panels were placed on the roof of the grounds maintenance main building. Aurora Energy of Annapolis, MD, installed the solar electric system and Daystar Energy Services of Silver Spring, MD installed the solar thermal systems.
2. Washington Gas Energy Services and Community Energy Inc, two energy marketers, have announced that American University, World Wildlife Fund, the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, Norm Thompson Outfitters, and Ecoprint have joined the growing list of businesses and institutions buying pollution-free, wind-generated electricity. The electricity will be supplied by the Mountaineer Wind Energy Center, the largest wind generating facility in the Eastern United States with 44 turbines, which began operating in December 2002. Washington Gas Energy Services also announced that almost 5,000 residential and all commercial customers have signed contracts to purchase some or all of their electricity from the new wind facility.
3. Catholic University of America in Washington, DC agreed to buy wind power for 12 percent of its electricity needs in 2002. [solaraccess.com — 26 January 2003]

Back to Table of Contents

GEORGIA:

1) Walter Robins - The state’s first residential fuel cell has been installed by Flint Energies to provide heat and electricity to its Service Center facility in Warner Robins. The 5 kW fuel cell was installed and commissioned in less then four days in June, 2002. [solaraccess.com — 17 July 2002]

Back to Table of Contents

HAWAII:

1. Kamuela- Large solar electric power area panels at the heart of the world's largest hybrid-solar/wind power system, are now operational. Located on the Big Island, this 225-kW AC solar/wind power hybrid system generates electricity 24 hours per day to meet the water-pumping demands of Parker Ranch, one of the largest cattle ranches in the United States [www.astropower.com]
2. Hawaii - A 250 kW PowerLight system at the Mauna Lani Resort (their fourth large PV system) will provide power for irrigation of the resort's two golf courses. Also, 122 of the Mauna Lani's golf cars are SunCaddies: they have PV panels on top, to help charge the batteries for extended playtime. The combined total of the four systems is over 500 kW, making Mauna Lani the largest resort user of photovoltaic electric energy in the world.
3. ‘Ewa - A consortium of government and utility organizations hopes to build the state's biggest field of solar electrical panels at a model renewable energy park are to be built on Naval land in 'Ewa. The energy park, on 34.5 acres next to the Hawai'i Prince Golf Club, eventually could have a solar photovoltaic field producing 2 to 3 megawatts, making it the biggest photovoltaic project in the state. The initial stage — to be operational in 2005 — will have 200 kilowatts- roughly enough to power 60 Hawaiian homes.
4. Hilo Bay - The Hilo Bay Million Roofs project, completed last year, consists of an educational kiosk with solar electric lighting and solar electric lighting for the bay front public restrooms. This public demonstration project was implemented as part of the Millino Solar Roofs Initiative (MSRI) and the Island of Hawaii MSRI partnership.
5. Hawaii - Established in 1996, the Residential Solar Water Heating Program has ignited a vibrant solar-heating industry on the islands of Hawaii, Maui, Oahu, and Molokai. By now over 62,000 solar water heater systems have been installed on residential units allowing owners to derive all their hot water needs from the sun for at least 90 percent of the year. In addition, the state of Hawaii offers financial incentives for homeowners looking to reduce their reliance on the electrical grid. An instant rebate of US$750 for each system reduces the initial price, while a 35 percent in the tax credit of up to US$1750 for the total cost of the installed systems lends a hand around tax time. [solaraccess.com — 22 November 2002]

Back to Table of Contents

IDAHO:

1. Caldwell - Zero Energy Manufactured Home, recently completed by Kit Manufacturing of Caldwell, Idaho, is 1600 sq.ft. and includes Icynene insulation, a heat recovery ventilator, solar thermal panels, and a $30,000 6 kW PV array. [Energy Design Update- December 2002]

Back to Table of Contents

ILLINOIS:

1. Chicago - Lakefront SRO Holland Apartments and the Children's Place at Vision House Apartments, two affordable multifamily housing developments have solar photovoltaic (PV) systems that incorporates a solar array with a peak capacity of 18 kW, enough to supply over 21,000 kWh in a typical Chicago year. The two housing developments join an increasing number of PV installations on Chicago's South Side, including the DuSable Museum of African American History, the Museum of Science and Industry, three Chicago public schools and the upcoming "New Homes for South Chicago", a development of single-family homes by Claretian Associates.
2. Northern Illinois - PROPOSED: Navitas Energy received a $2.75million grant to develop a 50MW wind power project. It will be states’ largest wind facility and the wind farm will generate approx. 133millon kWh of electricity, enough to power 15000 homes. In addition, it will offset the annual emissions of 76,000 tons of CO2, 800 tons of SO2 and 300 tons of CO that would otherwise be generated by conventional power plants.
3. Chicago - Solar power keeps the gas pumping at the recently reopened Mac's Convenience in downtown Chicago. The business became the first solar-powered gas station in Illinois on Wednesday morning, when state officials and business leaders turned on the 280 photovoltaic panels stored in the pump island canopy. The solar panels were funded in part by a $60,741 renewable- energy grant from the state.
4. Naperville - BP celebrated the installation of solar panels at Washington Junior High. The Naperville school was one of five area schools chosen to receive the free panels, which are a regular feature at most BP service stations. Of the schools, BP first installed the solar panels last on October 2002 at Waubonsie Valley High School in Aurora.

Back to Table of Contents

IOWA:

1. Clarion - Goldfield is Iowa’s latest school district to adopt wind power as an energy source after the district installed a 50kW turbine near its high school. Assistance from a DOE grant for >$26,000 as well as $110,000 in low interest loans financed the project. The turbine should save the district $6000-9000 in annual energy costs.
2. Sioux Center - Siouxland Energy and Livestock Cooperative opened their 14 million gallon per year fuel ethanol plant on January 3, 2002. The plant is located near a 10,000 head cattle feedlot where the plant intends to sell its co product “distillers dried grains” as cattle feed. [www.ethanol.rfa.org/eth_prod_fac.html]
3. Iowa - The state has 24 electric generating plants that use biomass, with a combined capacity of 22MW…accounting for less than 1% of the state’s total electricity needs. Of this total, 52% is biogas, 47% is Municipal Solid Waste and <1% is from timber residues. . The most recent addition to ethanol production facilities was the Tall Corn Ethanol LLC. It is the largest farmer-owned ethanol plant in the state, requires 15million bushels of corn to produce 40million gallons of ethanol and 120,000 tons of distillers dried grains annually. 2002 also saw the construction of 2 additional ethanol plants being constructed in 1)Sioux center-14 million-gallon production potential and 2) Galva-18 million gallon potential.
4. Waverly - Waverly Light and Power, has helped lead the way for wind energy development across the Midwest, and has been awarded the 2002 Paul Rappaport Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Award by the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). Beginning with Waverly's groundbreaking wind program, Iowa to date has installed some 350-wind turbines, producing more than 500 megawatts of electricity. Today, Iowa ranks third among the states, behind only California and Texas, in wind energy development. [19 July 2002]
5. Top of Iowa - A wind Farm, located across 5,500 acres contains 89 NEG Micon turbines, each producing 900kW. The turbines are sited on agricultural land owned by 52 different landowners with at total capacity of 80MW.
6. Hancock County - FPL Energy project and Hancock County Wind Energy Center has 98 MW of installed. The installation uses 148 V47-600 kW wind turbines.
7. Iowa - The Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) currently has 34 solar-powered, portable, changeable message signs in operation throughout the state, and two mobile signal trailers operating on PV technology. The state agency also owns 125 solar-powered automatic traffic recorders, and is adding two more per year. Another solar technology used by the DOT is solar-powered weigh-in-motion detectors, with 14 currently in operation.
8. Cedar Rapids - The Indian Creek Nature Center in Cedar Rapids uses a 960-watt PV system to supply power to its Sugar House Building. The solar system is mounted on the building's roof and is grid-connected to the local utility. About 10 percent of the facility's power load is met during the work week, with excess generation during the weekends sent to the grid.
9. Iowa- Iowa State University's PrISUm team competes in the Sunrayce, a series of competitions across North America in which college teams build and race solar-powered vehicles. Team PrISUm's mission is to educate the public and increase interest in solar energy.
10. Iowa - Researchers at the Microelectronics Research Center (MRC) at Iowa State University have been working on thin film semiconductors for use in PC systems since the 1970s. Information gathered by MRC has been applied in space programs for NASA.
11. Iowa -The Million Solar Roofs initiative is a public-private partnership to encourage investment in building PV and active thermal systems. The ultimate goal is to install one million solar systems in the United States by 2010. Reaching this goal would reduce pollution by the equivalent of removing 850,000 cars from the road. In addition, an estimated 70,000 new jobs will be created.
12. MidAmerican Energy Co. and Gov. Tom Vilsack will unveil plans today to develop the largest land-based wind farm in the world. The $323 million project will be built in northwest or north-central Iowa and will have 180 to 200 wind turbines. The project will generate 310 megawatts of energy, Mid- American officials said Monday. The project would surpass the current largest wind farm, which is on the Oregon-Washington border. It produces 300 megawatts of energy, according to the American Wind Energy Association. [Iowa Register 25 March 2003]

Back to Table of Contents

KANSAS:

1. Motezuma – The sargest wind farm in Kansas was ribbon cut in December 2001 near Montezuma, Kansas. The FPL Energy plant generates 110 megawatts by 170 wind turbines. [www.utilicorp.com]
2. Russell - US energy Partners LLC will produce 9 million bushels of crops that will yeild 25 million gallons of fuel grade ethanol. The 15 MW of co generated steam is to dry the distillers dried grain byproduct. Five ethanol plants in Kansas now produce 37 million gallons each year and four new plants will come on line in 2003 to produce an additional 150 million gallons of ethanol fuels.
3. Leoti - Sunflower Electric Power Corporation and Renewable Energy Systems, an international wind farm developer, will construct the Sunflower Electric Wind Farm in Wichita County. The company will purchase the first 30 MW of electricity produced by the project hat has been designed to produce up to 100 MW as additional customers join the project. [solaraccess.com]
4. Kansas City - Jeff Simpson has created a web site that features a virtual tour of the home, which is located conceptually in the suburban Kansas City area of Johnson County. It showcases energy-efficient techniques used in the home, such as lightning, high-performance foam insulation, solar hot water, passive solar heating and cooling, and a photovoltaic (PV) system rated at 4 kilowatts (kW). Sponsored by the Energy Programs Division of the Kansas Corporation Commission, the site shows that an urban home can become nearly self-sufficient and not have to rely on the natural gas and electricity grids. [Jeff Simpson jsgoev@earthl.kninet]

Back to Table of Contents

KENTUCKY:

1. Walton - Owen electric Cooperative and its power supplier East Kentucky Power Cooperative have announced plans to build the first landfill gas electric generating plant in Kentucky. The 3.2 MW facility is planned for the Bavarian Landfill and is scheduled to begin commercial operation in the spring of 2003. The project output will serve retail customers participating in the “EnviroWatts” green power program through which customers can purchase 100kW blocs of green power or an additional $2.75 per month. [EREN News Network 4 February 2003]

Back to Table of Contents

MARYLAND:

1. Assateague - Four self-powered trailers for water pumping were delivered in December of 2001 to Assateague Island National Seashore. Each trailor consists of 16 photovoltaic modules, which are attached to permanently installed well pumps. The locked trailors also have bathroom, dressing room, shower stalls and complete lighting. The pumps provide a minimum of 1920 gallons of water per day from 5 feet below the surface at 8 GPM at 20 PSI. Note: wells are 100 feet deep with static water level at 5 feet below surface. The entire trailor can be decommissioned and moved within 30 minutes to some other wellhead at the national park.
2. Poolesville – The Poolesville Schools and the Lathrop E. Smith Environmental Education Center are now proud owners of state-of-the-art solar photovoltaic (PV) systems. The three systems vary in size, ranging from 800 W at the Middle School, 1,200 W at the High School and 2,400 W at the Smith Center. Each system uses solid state, silicon-based photovoltaic (PV) modules manufactured by AstroPower. While each of these systems provides only a modest contribution to the school’s overall electrical needs, each provides between 20 percent and 50 percent of a typical Maryland residence’s electrical needs.

Back to Table of Contents

MASSACHUSETTS:

1. Boston - The region’s first sunslate solar electric roof system was installed on a home in Boston. A total of 480 solar electric roofing tiles comprise the grid tied PV system. This 700 square foot array provides about 65% of the home’s average annual power needs. Each sunslate consists of six, 2-watt solar cells laminated to a concrete/fiber roofing slate. Twenty four slates are wired together in a series to form a 290 W sub-array. Each sub-array is connected to an inverter that converts the DC power to alternating current (AC) power for use in the home.
2. Mt. Wachusett - Mount Wachusett Community College in Massachusetts converted from an all-electric to a biomass heating system. The college switched to a wood-chip fired combustion system, and with it, was able to offset 8.8 million kWh of electricity purchases per year.
3. Taunton, Massachusetts - General Dynamics C4 Systems has delivered a first-of-its-kind, fuel cell-based auxiliary power unit (APU) to SunLine Transit Agency for installation aboard the "21st Century Truck.” As configured for the 21st Century Truck, the 5 kW power unit will act as a battery charger to electrify the air conditioning and other driver utilities in the concept Class 8 tractor when it is parked, avoiding the noise, emissions and expense of running the vehicle's engine for electrical power. [solaraccess.com — 20 November 2002]
4. Beverly - Massachusetts Electric has an additional program that allows residential customers
   to purchase a solar PV system for their home at half price. The company maintains a 100-kilowatt PV system at the Beverly High School. [http://www.ascensiontech.com/solarschools.htm]
5. Cambridge - MIT received a grant ($455,700) from the MASS Renewable Energy Trust. MIT Community Solar Power Initiative will build 40 solar installations on the MIT campus as well as on schools, homes and businesses in Cambridge and nearby towns.
6. Cope Cod - Cape Cod Wind Associates prepares to build 170 wind turbines on Horseshoe Shoal, a shallow portion of Nantucket Sound. Advocates note the project would be the nation’s largest renewable energy installation, capable of weaning the region off oil and dramatically reducing its greenhouse emissions. [GRIST MAGAZINE 19 December 2002]
7. Princeton - Voter approval will now enable Princeton Municipal Light Department and its development partner, Community Energy, Inc., to replace the eight 40 kW wind turbines currently sited on 100-foot towers at the Mount Wachusett wind farm to new 1.5 mW wind turbines to be sited on the 230-foot towers.

Back to Table of Contents

MICHIGAN:

1. Caro - A 40 million gallon-per-year ethanol fuel facility has been constructed in Caro, Michigan. Broin and Associates, a South Dakota design, engineering, construction and management firm, built the plant.
2. Zeeland West High School has an 85 ft., 10 kW wind turbine, 1 kW solar electric system, geothermal heat pump, occupancy sensors, and systems that capture the energy from expelled air. The school's specially coated white roof reflects energy and reduces heating and cooling loads. Special "low-emissivity" paint and insulation reduces heat loss in classrooms and makes them more comfortable. [http://www.michigan.gov/documents/CIS_EO_Inside_Zeelandhighschool_50834_7.pdf]

Back to Table of Contents

MINNESOTA:

1. Fairmount – PROPOSED, Southern Minnesota Municipal Power Agency (SMMPA), will build and own two, 950kW wind turbines that will feed into the state electrical system. Sending the power directly into Fairmont’s distribution system instead of into the transmission network will decrease costs and availability issues of the constrained transmission network. The turbines are to generate enough power for 700 homes.
2. Duluth – The city’s Lake Superior Zoo has been chosen as the site for northeastern Minnesota's first Rebuild Minnesota renewable energy demonstration project. It's designed to improve energy and environmental performance at the zoo while demonstrating the benefits to a large and diverse audience. Rebuild Minnesota is a new program through the Minnesota Department of Commerce. Partners in this project include Minnesota Power, City of Duluth's Lake Superior Zoo and Public Works & Utilities, Rebuild Minnesota Institute, Johnson Controls, LHB Architects and Engineers and, of course, the animals. Each component of the project — from a solar water heating system to a micro hydropower plant — not only solves a current problem but also provides a unique education on renewable energy. Proposed for 2002 3:
   — Solar hot water and potential space heating for the animal barn
   — Photovoltaic fueling station for electric vehicles
   — Geothermal heat exchanger to cool the polar bears and seal pools
   — Micro hydro facility to provide power for a building or other site on Zoo property. Total cost of the project is approximately $300,000.
3. Farmer –owned wind farm model. allows farmers with good wind resources to take advantage of it like any other commodity. Kas Brothers farm was completed in 2001 and consists of two, 750kW turbines. The installation was built for $850kW and will yield $30-40k annually for the first 10 years of operation ($110-130k, thereafter). Five similar projects have been completed in MINN by Kas Bros.
4. Chippewa Valley – The Chippewa Valley Ethanol Company (CVEC) located in Benson, congratulated farmers on the groundbreaking for an expansion, which will double the production capacity of their plant. CVEC currently produces more than 20 million gallons of ethanol/year. Plant I is now expanding to 40 million gallon production capacity.
5. St. Paul - Once completed, a new condo complex will strike a synergy between the past and the future as an old deserted manufacturing complex is renovated into energy efficient apartments. By the summer of 2003, the brink building along the river bluffs will be producing energy created from wind and geothermal sources. In addition, five 40 kW wind turbines on the adjacent hill, and five others far from the community will generate well more power than the first three buildings need. Minnesota’s net metering legislation entitles the community to receive retail repayment, which is now close to ten cents per watt from the energy produced by the turbines. [solaraccess.com — 19 November 2002]
6. Rochester - The Southern Minnesota Municipal Power Agency is installing two 950 kW wind turbines in southern Minnesota. [solaraccess.com — 12 December 2002]

Back to Table of Contents

MONTANA:

1. Navitas Energy has begun development of Whitehall Wind, a 50MW, 28-turbine wind power facility to be completed in 2004.

Back to Table of Contents

NEBRASKA:

1. Chattanooga – The Tennessee Valley Infrastructure Group Inc. (TVIG) has completed construction of the Kimball, Nebraska wind farm project, the state's first commercial-scale wind farm. The wind farm will have a generating capacity of 10.5 MW of power, using 1.5 MW wind turbines; the most advanced commercially available technology. [solaraccess.com 30 August 2002]
2. Nebraska - A 6kW demonstration flywheel will be installed by Beacon Power Corp for the WinDBreak Cable Company. The 36-volt flywheel will provide back up power for cable TV and data services, following testing of earlier models to replace high maintenance battery systems.
3. Central City -Fagen Inc, a Minnesota-based developer of ethanol plants chose Central Cityas the site for a US $60 million dry mill ethanol plant. The plant will produce 40 million gallons of ethanol a year and will purchase about 15 million bushes of corn per year. It will create between 30 and 35 jobs for an annual payroll of about US$ 1.2 million. [solaraccess.com — 15 January 2003]

Back to Table of Contents

NEVADA:

1. Reno - An agreement was signed with the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe to develop geothermal resources on the tribe’s reservation for a new 40MW geothermal plant in the previously developed Steamboat geothermal power park, located 9 miles south of Reno. The technology, an air-cooled binary cycle, has been used in 4 plants thus far.
2. Churchill County – The County has installed a new 5MW binary-cycle geothermal plant, which will be added to the existing plant in Brady Hot Springs.
3. Reno - A 30-year contract was signed to make the University of Nevada at Reno the only college campus in the world powered by renewable energy. ATS is to build and operate an 11-kW geothermal power plant to open next year. Excess power would be sold to Sierra Pacific. [Restructuring Today (ISSN 1522-7324)]
4. Nye County - Nathaniel Energy Corp. and Renewable Development LLC (of CO) will provide electricity from 3800 acres of real estate property in Nye County. Tonopah Aeronautics and Tech. Park, a $25million facility, will burn used tires and convert them into electricity utilizing its thermal combustion technology. It is estimated that 25MW of energy will be produced.
5. Reno - Some 80 wind turbines will be installed for a new 120-MW facility in California's Mojave Desert that will be the first wind project for the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. The project, to be completed in the summer of 2004, will run on 1.5-MW wind turbines and will take up about 22,000 acres of land located 12 miles north of Mojave, CA. [utitilpoint.com 6 march 2003]
6. Boulder City – A thirty year-old contract was signed between the Sierra Pacific Electric Utility and Solargenix Energy LLC (formerly Dulce Solar LLC) for a 50 Mw solar steam to electric plant. The Nevada Public Utility Company voted in support of the project.

Back to Table of Contents

NEW JERSEY:

1. Waren - New Jersey Senator Jon Corzine joined Cordis Corporation, a Johnson & Johnson company, to dedicate a new 72-kilowatt solar electric system at the company's Warren, New Jersey site. The solar system is the third solar electric project of its type deployed by a Johnson & Johnson company. This new solar electric system at Cordis' Warren, NJ site, furnished by PowerLight Corporation, is the first to be installed by a Johnson & Johnson company in New Jersey. The first system was installed at Neutrogena Corporation in Los Angeles in July 2001, with another now in place in Pennsylvania. The 72-kilowatt solar electric system covers over 15,800 square feet of the Cordis facility's roof. It is comprised of 1,680 solar electric foam blocks. The energy project was partially funded by New Jersey's Clean Energy Program and the Virginia Alliance for Solar Electricity.
2. Atlantic City - Millennia Square neighborhood, developed by the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority (CRDA), offers a half dozen energy efficient, solar-powered homes among 19 new single-family and twin-style residences. The United States Department of Energy, through its "PV Bonus" program and the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities, through its "NJ Clean Energy" program, have provided US$78,000 in funding, respectively, for photovolatics.
3. Parsippany/Edison - FuelCell Energy Inc will provide two 250 kW fuel cell power plants for Installation at two hotels owned by Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide, Inc. These fuel cell systems will provide one-quarter of the power and hot water heating needs for the Sheraton Parsippany Hotel and Sheraton Edison Raritan Center.

Back to Table of Contents

NEW MEXICO:

1. A new solar power initiative of the Navajo Tribal Utility Authority (NTUA) is bringing electricity to the homes of people living in remote areas of the reservation. In a program that is the largest of its type in the country, the NTUA is buying 200 photovoltaic systems for $2 million and installing individual units at private residences to furnish electrical power. "The only way for many of these people to have electricity is to provide each household its own photovoltaic unit," he says. Between 10,000 and 30,000 Navajos are estimated to live without electricity throughout the reservation that covers parts of New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah. [www.sandia.gov/pv 12 July 2002]
2. Quay/De Baca County - Eastern New Mexico will become the site of one of the nation's largest wind generation facilities next year, the result of an agreement announced by the Public Service Company of New Mexico (PNM), a subsidiary of PNM Resources and FPL Energy LLC, a subsidiary of FPL Group, Inc. Under terms of the agreement, FPL Energy will construct, own and operate the 204 MW facility. 135, 1.5MW turbines in Quay and De Baca counties. It will provide electricity for 94,000 homes. [solaraccess.com — 22 October 2002]
3. Texline - Cielo Wind Power, an Austin, Texas-based company, plans to purchase a pair of 660-kilowatt wind turbines to add to the single 660-kilowatt wind turbine at the Llano Estacado Wind Ranch near Texline, New Mexico's only commercial wind-generation facility. The two new turbines, Vesta 47s, will generate 1.3 megawatts of electricity. Three-bladed propellers, with each propeller measuring about 75 feet, will drive the turbines. The energy from the Llano Estacado Wind Ranch is sold to Xcel Energy, a partner in the project, for Windsource Customers.
4. Raton - Western Water and Power Production (WWPP) recently announced plans to build a $50-million biomass electricity generation facility near the city of Raton that would convert "tree thinnings, agricultural waste and other combustible material" into power for between 20,000 and 35,000 homes. [EIN 25 March 2003].

Back to Table of Contents

NEW YORK:

1. Long Island – The Long island Power Authority has installed 55 of the 75 planned of 5 kW fuel cells. 18 fuel cells are now adding power to the electric grid. The 55 3 kW units of PEM fuel cells are one of the largest installations on the electric utility grid in the United States.
2. Fenner Wind Power Facility Twenty wind turbines, each 300 ft. tall is the largest collection in eastern US. Each turbine has 1.5 MW output which is enough energy for about 400 homes.
3. Brooklyn - New York City's largest commercial rooftop solar power system which is located on the roof of two Greenpoint Manufacturing and Design Center (GMDC) buildings in the Greenpoint neighborhood of Brooklyn, transforms sunlight into electricity, generating clean electrical power. The total solar system includes a 59 kilowatt (kW) array at GMDC's Humboldt Street location and a 56 kW array that will be operational at GMDC's Manhattan Avenue building within the next several months. The photovoltaic panels and advanced battery will work as a solar energy system to generate and store electricity in coordination with Con Edison's network system. The 115 kilowatt solar power system covers 11,500 square feet of roof area and reduces the peak electricity demand on New York's power grid while improving local air quality. When fully powered, the solar system will generate the equivalent energy to light 100 homes. Funding for the project is provided through a joint partnership of NYSERDA, GMDC and a Clean Air Communities grant stemming from Con Edison. [ENNS News Network 8 November 2002]
4. Huntington - Advanced Energy Group has completed installation of a 20Kw residential grid tie the system in Huntington, NY. An out-of-pocket cost of $18,000 eliminates the $300/month electric utility cost meaning the payback period is 5 years. The system uses 168, 120W modules
5. Long Island -Located near Calverton on eastern LI, the first of 5 wind farms that LI Power Authority will erect in Suffolk county. Each turbine will generate 100,000kWh of electricity/year, equal to the electricity needs of 12 homes.
6. Long Island- The four BJ's Clubs - in Farmingdale, Islandia, Riverhead and Westbury - will feature 96 solar photovoltaic (PV) panels at each location. Each of the systems, which were designed and installed by CSG, covers an area of about 1000 square feet on a store's roof. PV, or photovoltaic solar electric panels, are solid-state devices, made from silicon, that convert sunlight to electricity, without fuel, noise, or pollution. Each BJ's solar power plant produces 10 kilowatts of "green" electricity for the store, helping to reduce the peak demand on LIPA, the local electric utility Combined, the four (4) BJ's solar power plants on Long Island will generate between 40,000 and 50,000 kilowatt hours of electricity yearly, and over their lifespan will avoid production of 720 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2).
7. Amherst - The Sweet Home Central School District has been awarded a US$20,000 grant as part of the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority’s (NYSERDA) “School Power…. Naturally”. The four-year program, scheduled to run through 2006, aims to install Renewable Energy systems in New York schools for on-site electrical generation and education. The grant will be used to install a solar electric photovoltaic (PV) system and weather station on the roof of the science/math/technology wing of Sweet Home High School. The school is one of only 50 schools selected for the NYSERDA project. [solaraccess.com — 10 December 2002]
8. A 2 kW system will be installed by Solar Works, Inc. and will be directly tied into the school’s electricity grid. The system would provide almost one half the energy needed to power a typical home.
9. Students at fifty New York State schools will soon be learning about solar energy in their very own rooftop classrooms. The systems will consist of 20 AstroPower 100 W modules; a 2500 W inverter and a Heliotronics data acquisition system, In addition to the systems that Eidlin said will each generate about 8 kWh/day.
10. Albany - The SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (SUNY-ESF) in Syracuse will receive a US$1 million grant from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) to install a fuel cell based combined heat and power system that will provide on-site power generation. The waste heat from the fuel cell will be used for domestic hot water, space heating or space cooling on the campus. [solaraccess.com — 4 November 2002]
11. Wyoming County - The first to turn that local potential into reality was Western New York Wind Corp., which erected 10 wind turbines in the town of Wethersfield in 2000. The wind farm, since acquired by CHI Energy, has a capacity of about 6.6 megawatts of electricity – enough to meet the annual needs of about 1,700 households.
12. Calverton – A new wind farm will generate 100,000 kWh of electricity annually, enough to power about 12 average-sized homes on Long Island. The wind turbine is located on the Zeh Farm behind the Windy Acres Farm Stand on Route 25 in Calverton. It cost approximately US$225,000 to construct and put into operation. In return for allowing the wind turbine to be placed on their farmland, the Zeh family will receive an annual energy credit on their electric bill equal to 25 percent of the power generated by their farm's wind turbine. This credit is expected to be worth about US$3,000 per year. The term of the lease is 20 years. [solaraccess.com — 12 September 2002]
13. Latham - A combined heat and power (CHP) fuel cell system was installed and operating at the Babylon Town Hall in Long Island, where it supplies supplemental heat and electricity. The system is capable of generating 5 kilowatts of electricity or 9 kW of heat.
14. New York City - The New York Power Authority will install eight fuel cell power plants in the city. The 200kW PC25 units will produce power and reduce emissions from four wastewater treatment plants in New York City. NYPA plans to install units at treatment plants in Brooklyn, Staten Island, Bronx, and Queens. The units will run off anaerobic digester gas. Besides generating 200 kW of electricity, the PC25 provides 900000 BTU of heat for use in space heating, domestic hot water heating, or absorption chilling and air conditioning. With the addition of the above 8 units, NYC will have a total of 17 fuel cell power plants supplying electricity for city facilities. Other installations include the police station in Manhattan’s Central Park, North Central Bronx Hospital, St. Vincent’s hospital on Staten Island, and the Conde Nast building at 4 Times Square. The first of two 5 kW fuel cell installations in residential homes was completed in Lewiston in April of 2002.
15. Albany - Chayuga Community College is renovating 33,000 square feet of existing space and constructing a new two-story building- the Regional Economic Center- that will include a geothermal heat pump system and several energy efficiency measures. Their efforts are being funded using the New York Energy $mart new Construction Program. [solaraccess.com -- 15 January 2003]
16. Farmingdale, Islandia, Riverhead, Westubury- Four new power plants are now on line with the help of a partnership between Conservation Services Group and Evergreen Solar, Inc. Four BJ Wholesale clubs in Farmingdale, Islandia, Riverhead and Westbury will feature 96 Evergreen PV panels at each location. Each system covers an area of about 1000 square feet on the store’s roof and will produce 10 kW of electricity for the store. [solaraccess.com — 18 January 2003]

Back to Table of Contents

NORTH CAROLINA:

1. The North Carolina Solar Center held the groundbreaking of their new Alternative Fuels Vehicle Garage. The garage will serve as a research and education facility for a variety of alternative fuels. Roof integrated photovoltaic panels will provide a portion of the electrical energy required to charge the batteries of electric vehicles.

Back to Table of Contents

OHIO:

1. Stockport - Lock#6 generates 10 kW of electricity for the 14-room Stockport Mill County Inn. On the Muskingum River, the Inn sells 40% of the electricity to American Electric power as a net-metered system. The Inn will save $3,000 per month and payoff their $200,000 investment in three years.
2. Oberlin College has a 3,700 sq foot PV array on the roof of the Lewis Center meeting 70 percent of its electrical needs.
3. Cleveland - Ecovillage Cleveland is installing solar power systems on the garages of ten homes out of the 20-unit town houses. One, 4.8kW installation and nine 1.2 kW systems with the help of a US Department of Energy award are being built.
4. Grove City - A new ethanol plant will be built by Genahol Inc. and be co-located at the Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio landfill-the fifth largest in the nation. The Genehol Inc. plant will turn out-dated or spoiled beer, wine and other products into ethanol. The estimated $5 million plant is expected to be up and running by the summer of 2003.

Back to Table of Contents

OREGON:

1. Salem - Oregon became the first state in the nation to mount solar energy panels on its Capitol. Three rows of photovoltaic panels, covering approximately 850 square feet have been installed on the roof of the Capitol's west wing. They are expected to generate an average of 7.8 kilowatts -- enough electricity to power four floodlights trained on the 23-foot-tall Golden Pioneer statue atop the building. Energy generated in excess of what's needed to illuminate the Pioneer will be sent to the power grid.
   [www.oregonlive.com]
2. Oregon/Washington - Green Mountain Energy Company announced an increase in wind content of Pacific Power’s and PGE’s Renewable Usage and habitat options from 15 to 20 percent in new wind. The wind power will come from Stateline wind-generation facility, located on the Oregon/Washington border. The product’s remaining 80 percent of energy will come from geothermal sources in northern California.

Back to Table of Contents

PENNSYLVANIA:

1. Fort Washington - A 3kW photovoltaic system has been installed on resident Ellen Shek’s garage roof.
2. Spring House - The Pharmaceutical Sourcing Group Americas (PSGA), a member of the Johnson & Johnson family of companies, dedicated its new pilot 75 kilowatt solar electric system at the company's pharmaceutical research facility. The solar energy system will produce 78,440 kilowatt-hours per year, and help reduce the company's annual energy consumption. The Spring House installation represents the third solar electric project deployed at a Johnson & Johnson company. [http://library.northenlignt.com]
3. Scranton - Exelon Power Team has a 20-year agreement for the Waymart Wind Project. It is expected to bring close to 70 MW of wind energy to the Northeast region and will be in operation in Spring 2003.
4. Scranton - Drexel University announced it has signed an agreement with Delaware County PA based Community Energy to purchase the entire output of a wind turbine at the new 60MW Pocono Wind Farm outside Scranton PA. This will meet about 10% of the schools electrical energy needs.
5. Philadelphia - Green Mountain Power is providing 100 percent renewable energy to the Liberty Bell Pavilion at Independence National Historical Park. Facilities in Philadelphia total of 3.7 million kWh will be purchased annually.

Back to Table of Contents

SOUTH CAROLINA:

1. The first solar-driven absorption air-conditioning system on the east coast was installed by Duke Solar in June, 2001. Santee Cooper, a SC public utility, dedicated a 2.2 MW landfill methane power plant as the state’s first green power generator offering 3 cents per kWh electricity. [November 2002]
2. Columbia - The Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) installed an E85 Fueling Capability and is now dispensing an ethanol blend at its fuel depot. It stores up to 20,000 gallons of gasoline, and 10,000 gallons of E85, a blend of 85% ethanol, and 15% gasoline.
3. Spartanburg - A BMW automobile manufacturing plant has become the first non-utility company in South Carolina to use landfill methane gas as a source of energy in more than two decades. Ameresco Energy Services of Farmington, Massachusetts, cleans the gas, compresses it, and pumps through a pipeline it built to BMW to fuel four turbines at the plant. The turbines owned and operated by Ameresco generate electricity and heat water, supplying approximately 20 percent of the facility's energy needs. [January 2003]

Back to Table of Contents

TENNESSEE:

1. Anderson County - The Tennessee Valley Authority has signed an agreement that will greatly expand its wind power farm on Buffalo Mountain. The country's largest public utility has been operating three wind turbines on Buffalo Mountain, a reclaimed strip mine about 25 miles west of Knoxville, since 2001. TVA will add another 18 turbines, giving the wind farm a capacity of more than 28 megawatts - up from 1.8 megawatts. The turbines will add enough wind power to run 4,500 homes.
2. Alabama/Oxford - Two new 30kW solar systems have been installed under the Tennessee Valley Authority’s “Green Power Switch” program. One system is installed at the Floraence Water Treatment in Alabama and the other at the intramural fields at the University of Mississippi in Oxford. TVA has now installed 13 solar systems totaling 326 kW of capacity to serve the green pricing program in which more than 5,900 customers throughout the Tennessee Valley are currently participating. [Green Power Marketing monthly Update November 2002]
3. Oliver Springs - The Tennessee Valley Authority plans to expand its Buffalo Mountain wind plant tenfold, adding 27 megawatts of new wind turbines to the site near Oliver Springs.

Back to Table of Contents

TEXAS:

1. Houston Advanced Research Center (HARC) has connected a 5kW proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell system to the electric grid. It’s the first residential sized system in the state to be connected to the grid.
2. Big Spring - ArcLight Capital Partners, a Boston-based private equity firm, announced that it has acquired the 34 MW Big Spring electric power generating facility The Big Spring facility, which began commercial operations in May 1999, sells 100 percent of its output to Texas Utilities under a long-term power purchase agreement. Caithness Energy will operate the plant. Annual energy production of the facility is approximately 117 million kWhs, enough to power 7300 homes.
3. Houston - A 43kW solar array, with panels stretching over 6000 square feet, has begun generating electricity in Houston. The facility is made up of 440 – 120 watt panels with a total of 31,680 individual multicrystalline solar cells. [solaraccess.com — 19 July 2002]

Back to Table of Contents

VERMONT:

1. Searsburg – The Searsburg wind facility has eleven turbines with capacity rating of 550kW. This meets the average annual electricity needs of 2,000 households.
2. Waitsfield - The Essex Junction Wastewater Treatment facility is to engineer, build and install a US$245,000 on-site power system that will burn methane gas produced by wastewater processing to generate electricity and heat for the facility. The new cogeneration system will produce over 400,000 kWh of electrical output per year, equivalent to 41 percent of the facility's current annual demand. At the same time, the system will reduce the plant's CO2 emissions by over 500,000 pounds - the equivalent of eliminating 42 cars from the road per year. As part of its commitment to removing financing obstacles to such environmentally sound systems, Northern helped the Essex Junction facility obtain grant and rebate assistance for the project from various outside sources. [solaraccess.com — 5 March 2003] </