KMB Design Group is proud to announce that the 5 Megawatt DC PV Solar ground mount located in Georgetown, Delaware for the Delaware Electric Cooperative, the first large-scale solar power site in Delaware to be owned and operated by a utility, is up and running, as of August 2013.
Steve Schwerd, Partner and VP of MEP Engineering expressed, “We are pleased to have played a vital role working in collaboration with the excellent team at SunEdison in helping to offset impact on the grid and enable Delaware to grow as a leader in renewable energy per capita.”
Working with well-known client and solar developer SunEdison, KMB provided engineering services included Electrical and Structural Engineering, Arc Flash Studies, Geotechnical Engineering and Pile Load Testing, as well as Construction Administation Support.
This impressive installation is run by 8 Solaron 500kW bi-polar inverters being powered by 17,600 Motech 295 watt Polycrystalline modules mounted on a typical post driven Schletter racking system. The array covers 20 acres of open farm land located on East Trap Pond Road near Gerogetown, Delaware.
This installation came to life in part due to the new mandate requiring that the cooperative source 25% of its power from renewable sources such as solar and wind by 2025, 3.5% being provided by solar. Presently, the cooperative receives 10% of its power from wind energy and is looking to continue to build solar farms to continue to raise this number. The cooperative will continue to own and operate their own solar farms as it makes the most sense for the utility being able to build their own solar and have total control over the projects and the energy being provided back to their system. The growth of renewable energy across the state of Delaware provided by the utility is estimated to continue to grow as the future years progress.