04/05/2012
New Bern solar project harnesses the sun's energy from warehouse rooftopESA Renewables completes 1.26-megawatt solar power plant, Eastern North Carolina's largest
New Bern, N.C. (April 5, 2012) - Eastern North
Carolina's largest solar photovoltaic (PV) array is
online and generating electricity from atop a massive
rooftop in New Bern. The 1.26-megawatt (MW) solar PV
array was built and will be operated by ESA Renewables,
LLC, and Progress Energy Carolinas will purchase the
electricity it generates to serve the utility's
customers.
This solar PV project is part of the utility's plan to
meet the requirements of North Carolina's renewable
portfolio standard. Progress Energy has more than 240 MWs
of renewable energy under contract in North Carolina to
help meet the requirements of this law, including solar,
biofuels, landfill methane and other technologies.
"We remain committed to responsibly pursuing renewable
energy resources, and we are pleased that our portfolio
of solar projects continues to expand," said Lloyd Yates,
president and chief executive officer of Progress Energy
Carolinas. "Projects such as this, coupled with our
aggressive energy-efficiency programs and advanced
generation facilities, will provide the clean, reliable,
affordable power our customers rely on us to provide. We
are proud to partner with ESA on this innovative
project."
The New Bern solar array will generate about 1.5 million
kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity per year, reducing
carbon dioxide emissions by more than 1,000 tons
annually. This is equivalent to the annual greenhouse gas
emissions from about 200 vehicles. The expected
annual energy output equals the annual energy usage of
about 100 typical households.
"ESA is excited to have one of Progress Energy Carolinas'
largest installations in the east under our belt," says
ESA President Jeffrey Burkett. "We are ready to see what
2012 will hold for ESA and we will continue to bring
solar to the communities of North Carolina and all around
the United States."
Using Poly-crystalline Canadian Solar modules, the array
will cover approximately 177,160 square feet of the roof
area, becoming one of Progress Energy Carolinas largest
installations in the east to date, including ground
mounted systems. ESA will operate and maintain the system
for the duration of the contract with Progress Energy
Carolinas. Included in the operation and maintenance
contract is ESA's own proprietary monitoring system,
which was developed in house. The monitoring system is an
effective, preventative, and corrective maintenance
system that helps monitor the plant with real time data
and alerts.
About ESA Renewables, LLC
ESA Renewables has positioned itself as a leader in the
industry providing turnkey solar PV systems globally. ESA
owns and operates a diverse portfolio of more than 500
solar PV power generating facilities located in the
United States, Puerto Rico, Spain and Italy. ESA's scope
of services includes financing, engineering,
construction, testing and operation and maintenance. With
headquarters in Castellon Spain, ESA has additional
offices in Florida, North Carolina, Puerto Rico, Chile
and Italy. For more information about ESA Renewables,
LLC, please visithttp://www.esarenewables.com
or call 407-268-6455.
About Progress Energy
Progress Energy (NYSE: PGN), headquartered in Raleigh,
N.C., is a Fortune 500 energy company with 23,000
megawatts of generation capacity and approximately $9
billion in annual revenues. Progress Energy includes two
major electric utilities that serve about 3.1 million
customers in the Carolinas and Florida. The company has
earned the Edison Electric Institute's Edison Award,
the industry's highest honor, in recognition of its
operational excellence, and was the first utility to
receive the prestigious J.D. Power and Associates
Founder's Award for customer service. The company is
pursuing a balanced strategy for a secure energy future,
which includes aggressive energy-efficiency programs,
investments in renewable energy technologies and a
state-of-the-art electricity system. Progress Energy
celebrated a century of service in 2008.www.progress-energy.com
.
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