Centreville, MD (PRWEB) November 26, 2013
SolarCity (Nasdaq: SCTY) is providing solar electricity on the Eastern Shore of Maryland with three projects that may significantly cut energy costs for taxpayers. The projects, with Queen Anne’s County and the Town of Centreville, include over 14,000 solar panels and more than 3.37 megawatts of generation capacity. Together, the three installations can help the town and county lock in lower energy costs for decades to come. The solar projects are expected to produce enough power to supply about 1,250 typical Maryland homes, and may save as much as $5.5 million on energy costs over 20 years.
"Together, with companies like SolarCity, we're building a stronger, more innovative new energy economy in Maryland," said Governor Martin O'Malley. "With the addition of three more megawatts of solar energy from the Eastern Shore, we're closer to a more resilient grid and even closer to reaching our goal of achieving 20 percent of in-state renewable generation by 2022."
All three projects are solar Power Purchase Agreements (PPA) which means the county and town are paying for the power created by the panels. With this agreement, the projects are owned, operated and maintained by SolarCity, with Maryland operations in Beltsville, and help lock in solar energy costs for the town and county.
“These projects shine a light on the potential for solar on the Eastern Shore. By making the move to solar, residents, businesses and governments can reduce their energy bills and reduce harmful pollution—and that’s good for everyone here on the Chesapeake. Centreville and Queen Anne’s County are leading the way for their residents here,” said Leon Keshishian, SolarCity’s East Coast Regional Vice President.
The overall project includes three distinct installations:
Queen Anne’s County: This ground-mounted 2.37 megawatt project on 20 acres of county-owned land is the largest non-utility solar array in Maryland. The installation is expected to save the county approximately $230,000 each year – adding up to $4.6 million in savings over the lifetime of the contract. The array consists of 9,856 solar panels on Safety Drive, just outside of Centreville, and has the capacity to fully power five county facilities: the Department of Emergency Services, Department of Public Works, Department of Correction, the Liberty Building and Health Department. The Kent Island Wastewater Plant will also utilize any remaining energy produced by the solar array.
“Not only could the county save approximately $4.6 million during the life of the project, but those savings (and the great benefits to the environment) are being achieved with no upfront cost to county taxpayers,” said Queen Anne's County Sustainability Council Member Alex Likowski. “The project is a model for every county and major municipality in Maryland.”
Centreville, MD: The Town of Centreville partnered with SolarCity to build two separate solar arrays at the town's Waste Water Spray Irrigation Facility on Hope Road. Centreville's 900 and 100 kilowatt array systems are on five acres of the farm and consist of 4,172 solar panels in total. The systems are projected to save the residents of Centreville in excess of one million dollars in electricity costs over 20 years. The arrays will help defray the cost to operate the waste-water spray irrigation system, waste water and water treatment plants as well as other facilities owned by the Town.
“As Thomas Edison once said, ‘I'd put my money on the sun and solar energy. What a source of power! I hope we don't have to wait until oil and coal run out before we tackle that’,” said George "Smokey" Sigler, Centreville Council President. “Now, 59 years later, I’m proud to see Centreville activating two solar arrays at Waste Water Spray Irrigation Facility.”
Homeowners, businesses and municipalities in Maryland who are interested in SolarCity’s services can contact the company directly at 1-888-SOL-CITY (1-888-765-2489) for a free, no-obligation solar consultation or visit SolarCity online at http://www.solarcity.com/request.
About SolarCity
SolarCity® (NASDAQ: SCTY) provides clean energy. The company has disrupted the century-old energy industry by providing renewable electricity directly to homeowners, businesses and government organizations for less than they spend on utility bills. SolarCity gives customers control of their energy costs to protect them from rising rates. The company offers solar power, energy efficiency and electric vehicle services, and makes clean energy easy by taking care of everything from design and permitting to monitoring and maintenance. SolarCity currently serves 14 states and signs a new customer every five minutes. Visit the company online at http://www.solarcity.com and follow the company on Facebook & Twitter.
This release contains forward-looking statements including, but not limited to, statements regarding expected savings, expected electricity production, expected electricity offsets and assumptions relating to the foregoing. Forward-looking statements should not be read as a guarantee of future performance or results, and will not necessarily be accurate indications of the times at, or by, which such performance or results will be achieved, if at all. Forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual performance or results to differ materially from those expressed in or suggested by the forward looking statements. You should read the section entitled “Risk Factors” in SolarCity’s quarterly report on Form 10-Q, which has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and identifies certain of these and additional risks and uncertainties. We do not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.