Stellar Energy Emerges as Leader in Solar Development for Quarries and Mining Facilities
Rohnert Park, Calif. (PRWEB) September 06, 2013 -- Stellar Energy, a leading national provider of commercial solar systems, has recently completed several complex solar power projects for quarry and mining facilities and emerged as an industry expert and leader within this sector. The company is currently installing its fourth large-commercial scale solar system into an active mining operation.
Industrial businesses such as rock quarries and mining operations demand large amounts of energy to power their operations. Utilizing solar power as a renewable energy solution reduces their utility costs and helps reduce their carbon footprint.
Stellar Energy has been successful in engineering and installing large, ground-mounted solar installations within the active mining areas of several clients throughout the Western US. In particular, the company helped one client position an array on the sunny side of a steep mountainside, which was otherwise unusable space. The installation required very advanced engineering, very diligent safety protocols and project management and careful product selection.
“Succeeding in the very specialized market of mining and quarries was not Stellar Energy’s original intention,” admitted Ted Walsh, Vice President of Sales and Marketing. In 2007, Stellar was first selected to engineer, design, and construct a 1.5 megawatt (MW) solar power plant for a gold mine in Nevada. When the system was activated, it was one of the largest solar facilities in western US, utilizing the most advanced technology of the time, and deployed in the extreme terrain and climate of western Nevada. Stellar Energy overcame significant design and engineering challenges both structurally and electrically to deploy the system, including obtaining certification from the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA). This experience and expertise became increasingly valuable as other mines and quarries began to investigate solar to reduce their operating costs.
The mountainside quarry project in Northern California followed, and then a Fortune 500 company approached Stellar Energy about a large sand mine supporting their bottle-making operation. From project development to design and engineering to project management to operation and maintenance – the teams at Stellar Energy all had to develop talent and resources to deliver as promised to this new type of client.
“Mines and quarries require a tremendous amount of electricity to power their facilities and their location often presents a challenging build environment,” said Michael Mittleman, President of Stellar Energy. “Installing solar on quarries and mining facilities requires complex design and engineering solutions, exacting project management, and very careful planning. Unlike many competing solar companies that outsource those high-value engineering skills or focus only on cookie-cutter opportunities, we have a team of specialists at Stellar Energy that thrive on challenges.”
It is no surprise that Mr. Mittleman, who also serves as the company’s Senior Vice-President of Operations, has managed teams that have deployed more than a 100 commercial-scale solar systems throughout the United States, many in challenging situations that include the top of the Sierra Nevada Mountains in Mammoth Lakes and the center of Death Valley in California, to landfill sites at the Meadowlands in New Jersey to the most recent build for the Fortune 500 mining operation in California.
These industrial facilities are increasingly turning to solar as a way to decrease their operating costs and reduce dependence on the utility-provided electricity. The environmental and financial benefits that solar delivers are compelling if the system is optimally installed and operating properly. These benefits are especially attractive to mining companies that have already committed significant resource toward a mine’s success.
About Stellar Energy
Stellar Energy is one of the nation’s top providers of commercial-scale solar energy systems. Our sister company Soligent LLC is the largest and most comprehensive full-service distributor of renewable energy products in the US. This relationship provides Stellar Energy access to the highest quality products at the most competitive pricing without bias to proprietary technology, manufacturing or financing. With 30 years of experience in solar, our team is committed to professional solar project delivery and system operation, delivering the best financial and environmental benefits possible to our clients. For more information, please visit http://www.stellarenergy.com/
Tina Barni Johnson, Stellar Energy, http://www.stellarenergy.com/, (707) 992-3212, [email protected]
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