State’s largest solar array now making power for GMP
Nov. 29, 2016, 7:48 pm by Morgan True
ESSEX JUNCTION — Vermont’s largest solar project was generating power Tuesday, said officials with the state’s largest utility, although production was diminished by overcast skies.
The roughly 20,000 solar panels cover 55 acres and at peak delivery will produce 4.7 megawatts. That’s enough energy to power 1,100 homes. The next largest solar arrays in the state deliver just over 2 megawatts, according to Green Mountain Power spokeswoman Kristin Carlson.
The massive solar installation is in Williston on land owned by GlobalFoundries. The semiconductor manufacturer owns 750 acres in Williston and Essex Junction.
Mary Powell, CEO of Green Mountain Power, joined state and private company officials to announce the Vermont Weather Analytics Center at a news conference at the State Emergency Operations Center in Waterbury on Wednesday.
With GMP owning the arrays, the arrangement produces electricity for about half the cost of buying it from a third party, said Mary Powell, CEO of Green Mountain Power. The project shows that GMP is “all in for the energy revolution,” Powell said.
“We are excited to work with GlobalFoundries to bring this solar array to life to benefit our customers and show once again how energy can be a force for good and economic development,” Powell added. GMP serves roughly 265,000 residential and business customers in Vermont.
In addition to lease payments, GlobalFoundries will get 500 kilowatts of the power generated — a tiny fraction of the energy it uses on a daily basis. During peak energy use at the site, GlobalFoundries uses as much power as the city of Burlington, according to Janette Bombardier, a senior GlobalFoundries executive. The rest of the power produced will go to GMP customers.
Another unusual aspect of the project is that 4 acres of solar arrays are set aside for use by Sandia National Labs, a research and development corporation operated by the U.S. Department of Energy.
The space will house the Vermont Photovoltaic Regional Test Center, where private companies will be able to test new solar products and gather data on their performance. The center is one of five Sandia operates nationwide.
The other centers are in Nevada, Colorado, New Mexico and Florida, in sites that don’t see the harsh winters, precipitation or dramatic changes in weather that are a hallmark of Vermont’s climate.
That creates a significant opportunity for private companies to test solar products designed to operate in places where sunlight is not always plentiful, Bombardier said.
Powell and Bombardier said the town of Williston worked closely with them to obtain a certificate of public good from the Public Service Board and during the permit process.
https://vtdigger.org/2016/11/29/states-largest-solar-array-now-making-power-gmp/