Empower Energies, a leading clean energy project solutions company, announced the construction of an 836-kWdc solar array in the Town of Middletown, Maryland. The project will feature 2,698 (310-watt) photovoltaic solar modules situated on 6.399 acres of municipal land adjacent to the town’s water treatment plant.
“We’re always looking for ways to better serve our constituents, so we’re quite pleased to have this project underway,” said Middletown Burgess (Mayor) John Miller. “The new system will deliver enough electricity to power 100% of the requirements of our water and wastewater facilities, lowering our electricity bills, and saving us a significant amount of money over the next 20 years. This will help the Town to manage its budgets more effectively for the future.”
RER Energy Group, a Reading, Pennsylvania-based developer with over 30 MW of experience on-the-ground nationally, is co-developer on the project. The installation is expected to be commissioned and operational by the end of November 2015 and will deliver approximately 1,143 MWh/yr of electricity annually to the Town of Middletown.
“We commend the Town of Middletown for its careful consideration and implementation of this significant renewable energy project,” said Jim Kurtz, president of RER Energy Group. “We have worked closely in cooperation with the town administrators, and all of the various constituencies, to make the project a reality. The project is well-sited to minimize impact on the surrounding area, and will serve the people of Middletown well for the next 20 years and beyond.”
The project was financed using a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA), a third-party contract that enables Middletown to enjoy low-cost solar electricity generation without any “out-of-pocket” expense. Sol Systems, a Washington, DC-based solar energy finance and investment firm selected by Empower Energies and RER Energy Group, was the financing partner for this project.
“There were no capital expenditures or up-front costs to the town,” Burgess Miller noted. “So we’ll benefit from reduced electricity bills as soon as the installation is commissioned.”
“At Sol Systems, we believe in scaling the industry, and the strength of partnerships like the one we have with Empower Energies,” said Colin Murchie, Senior Director of Project Finance at Sol Systems. “We are happy to help Middletown lower their electricity bills and to enable solar growth in neighboring Maryland.”
“Like most solar projects, this one is characterized by a complex set of transactions, followed by the interaction of an array of companies with interdependent skill sets,” said Len Jornlin, CEO of Empower Energies. “As developer on the Middletown solar project, we were privileged to serve as the hub of these skill sets. It enabled us to connect the dots, and will help our co-developer, RER Energy Group, and our EPC partner, Gehrlicher Solar, to get the project over the finish line for Sol Systems and the Town of Middletown.”
“As complex as these projects are, it is truly a testament to Burgess Miller, Drew Bowen and the people in Middletown to get an installation like this one up-and-running,” Jornlin continued. “It’s such a privilege to positively impact the local community where our company resides.”
“We also appreciate the opportunity to work with select local development partners, such as RER Energy Group,” Jornlin concluded. “We actively and deliberately seek out such strong local partners across the country, because their local knowledge and connectivity add to the efficiency and economic value delivered for the customers and communities we serve.”
