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BED Announces Offices Now Powered by the Sun

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 8, 2015
Contact:   Mike Kanarick
                  802.735.7962

BED Announces Offices Now Powered by the Sun
New Rooftop Solar Adds Renewable Power to Local Energy Portfolio

Burlington, VT – The Burlington Electric Department (BED) today announced that a 124 kW rooftop solar array at its Pine Street headquarters facility is now online.  This is the latest project in the City’s ongoing commitment to add more community solar to its portfolio and brings Burlington’s total installed solar photovoltaic to 88 projects, generating 1.93 megawatts of power for the City. During the anticipated 25-year life of the new solar project, BED expects to save as much as $900,000 in power and related costs, an average of approximately $35,000 annually.

“Burlington continues to be a national leader in energy innovation,” said Mayor Miro Weinberger. “Prioritizing and building community-scale solar has been one of the City’s key energy initiatives for more than three years, and we are honoring that commitment with announcements like the one today and this summer’s unveiling of the Burlington International Airport solar array. By building solar on City-owned buildings, we lead by example and encourage businesses and organizations throughout our City to rise to the challenge of building non-polluting, locally-sourced renewable power.”

This addition to Burlington’s renewable energy sources is good news for residents and businesses alike. It helps to ensure that low-cost and locally-generated power will be available during times of high use, such as hot summer days when demand for energy is greatest. Consequently, peak energy production and peak energy usage will coincide, offsetting costs and reducing reliance on more expensive energy sources.

“Adding locally-sourced, renewable power in Burlington is an important component of our energy future,” said BED General Manager Neale Lunderville. “Local power is resilient power that we can count on when the New England grid is strained. That means we are keeping our energy dollars in Vermont, while holding rates low and stable for our customers.”

“It is fitting that BED is commissioning this solar array during national Public Power Week,” Lunderville continued, referencing the annual celebration of public power during the first full week in October. “For more than 110 years as a municipal utility, BED’s only bottom-line has been our customers’ satisfaction. This new solar installation is part of BED’s commitment to be on the forefront of building a sustainable energy future that supports a growing economy and a thriving community.”

As with the Airport solar project, which has produced more than 580,000 kilowatt hours of electricity since it came online, this new solar array will reduce the need to buy power from outside sources. The solar array will be yet another BED-owned asset, and BED will operate the system, like the McNeil Generating Station and the Winooski One Hydro Plant. Solar power systems have the advantage of integrating low maintenance, non-moving mechanical parts, which provide quiet operation.

BED partnered with DC Energy Innovations, a Vermont company with offices in Burlington that has been growing its renewable energy focus over the past decade.  DC Energy managed the project design, permitting, construction, and commissioning. DC Energy has worked on projects including installation of solar arrays atop the new King Street Center facility, at Addison County Transit Resources in Middlebury, and on the roof at Ohavi Zedek Synagogue in Burlington.

“It was exciting to work with the team at BED to turn an underutilized City rooftop into a valuable, renewable energy site,” said Ben Gordesky, Renewable Energy Manager at DC Energy. “As a Vermont company, we were grateful to partner with Mayor Weinberger and BED’s team, who understand the importance of such a project. Burlington truly is leading the way for other cities around Vermont and our country.”

This project was begun in December 2012 through a BED-managed request for proposals to grow solar installations on City-owned properties throughout Burlington. BED and the University of Vermont (UVM) recently announced a similar process for solar development on the UVM campus.

*Please see attached photograph of the new BED rooftop solar array.

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Press Release Date: 
10/08/2015
City Department: 
Mayor's Office