Switch Flipped On To Solar Arrays At Howard County Circuit Courthouse

Ellicott City MD

14 April, 2022

3:21 PM

Description

HOWARD COUNTY, MD — State and local officials turned on the first of 11 solar projects this week that are part of Howard County's Power Purchase Agreement. The agreement is the largest of its kind in the state and will generate 44,000,000 kilowatt-hours (kWh) a year, which will cover more than 75 percent of the county's energy usage at the same price of current energy. The PPA allows the county to buy power off solar arrays developed on both county-owned land, such as the Circuit Courthouse, and private-owned land in Howard County. "Our historic solar power purchasing agreement, which will power more than 75 percent of the county's operations, puts us on track to exceed our environmental and energy independence goals. We're investing in bold solutions, backed by science, to sustain Howard County's resources and combat climate change Now is our time, and now is our chance to make Howard County the leader in clean solar energy," Howard County Executive Calvin Ball said. The project will generate 1.1 million kwh a year which was enough to push the county courthouse from LEED Silver to LEED Gold. The courthouse's solar array is one of a few in the agreement that is a dual array, which means it has a ground mount and a rooftop array. Additionally, a pollinator habitat will be grown under the ground mount array. The other project sites of the PPA include: Triple Creek Farm Clear View Farm Rural Rhythm Farm East Columbia Library rooftop & carport Gateway Building rooftop & carport Walnut Creek and Walnut Grove Septic Fields 50+ Center in East Columbia Waterloo Firehouse Scaggsville Police Station Detention Center