REC Solar, a specialist in solar electric system design and installation, has formed partnership with Integrated Solar, a Vermont renewable energy company, to build a 2.5-megawatt DC solar array in Brattleboro, Vermont.
The solar array will be owned and operated by Winstanley Enterprises, a New England property owner. The project is a key part of Vermont’s initiative to reach 55 percent renewable energy by 2017.
Company officials say the system will provide enough power to bring clean electricity to meet nine percent of Brattleboro’s annual energy needs – 40 percent during peak hours – while fueling local construction jobs.
REC Solar will serve as the lead contractor on the project, while Integrated Solar will install the system. When the 8,300 panel array is complete, it will be one of the largest solar energy projects in Vermont.
“This project will play a critical role in helping Vermont reach its ambitious renewable energy goals,” said Cary Hayes, director of business development for REC Solar.
Under Vermont’s Sustainably Priced Energy Development (SPEED) Program, all of the renewable energy produced by the system will be purchased through a feed-in tariff.
The SPEED program was created to help Vermont reach its renewable energy goals, which require that utilities purchase 55 percent of their electricity portfolio from renewable energy by 2017, and 75 percent by 2032.