Fort Carson boosts Colorado Governor's vision for sustainable energy with massive PV arrays

"Before we can change the climate, we have to change the culture," Vince Guthrie
The Flags were out and the trumpets blowing at Fort Carson , Colo, last week when far sighted, sutainable energy junkie, Colorado Governor, Bill Ritter opened the US$13 Mn. 12 acre solar Photovoltaic Array on a former landfill site. Fort Carson won the Governor's Renewable Energy Award for 2007 for its efforts in building the solar array project.

California based 3 Phases Energy Services, LLC, SunTechnics Energy Systems, Inc., and Morgan Stanley, developed, engineered, installed and financed the 2-megawatt (MW), ground-mounted solar photovoltaic (PV) array - it is designed to generate 3,200 megawatt-hours (MWh) of solar power annually - Xcel Energy will purchase the renewable energy credits (RECs) for 20 years under its Solar*Rewards program, which provides incentives for residential and commercial solar installations. The RECs will support Colorado's renewable portfolio standard. Colorado Springs Utilities which provides services to Fort Carson will host the system on its grid. Under its power marketing authority, Western Area Power Administration's Rocky Mountain Region will procure the power from the system on behalf of Fort Carson.

This will generate 2.3% of Fort Carson's electricity - enough power for 540 homes per year = US$24,000 capital cost per house.

This didn't cost the base a cent but they are locked in for 17 years to pay for electricity at 5.5 cents per kilowatt hour from the Grid supplier - which sounds like a very, very good deal.

Col. Eugene Smith, Fort Carson garrison commander, said "Our vision for Fort Carson is to be a sustainable installation, and it is energy projects like this and our commitment to other projects, that propel us along that journey." (In Iraq, troops have been using portable Power Plastic® lightweight solar chargers made by Konarka Technologies of Lowell, Mass a spin off of MIT - they are also developing portable, electric-generating buildings for the military.. )

Smith said the long-term energy goal for Fort Carson is to sustain all facility mobility systems from renewable sources by 2027.The solar modules are warranted for 25 years and the plant can be expected to produce energy efficiently for up to 40 years.See also detailed news on previous sustainable projects at the base.

Stephanie Carter the Directorate of Public Works utilities program manager was to prepare the landfill for construction. Vince Guthrie, coordinated the efforts of all the third party organizations involved.

Guthrie said he believes the efforts of this project will spur other renewable energy programs.

"Before we can change the climate, we have to change the culture," said Guthrie. "That's what these projects are all about."

Governor Bill Ritter recently led a successful campaign to double the amount of renewable energy in the state's renewable portfolio standard. By 2020, Colorado will get 20 percent of its power from renewable energy, including solar, wind, biomass and geothermal resources.

Those interested in the financiers viewpoint would benfit from reading Morgan Stanley’s Commitment to Addressing Environmental Challenges