Solar cell and module manufacturer Suniva announced that it is powering a PV project with battery storage from Vermont-based utility Green Mountain Power (GMP.)
The plant, developed and owned by GMP and installed by groSolar, earned the 2015 Project of Distinction Award by Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) and Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA).
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The 2.5MW plant covers four hectares of land on the closed capped Rutland City landfill in Rutland, Vermont. Not only will the solar farm convert a previous brownfield area, it will also generate energy to an adjacent emergency shelter at Rutland High School.
According to the US Department of Energy, the Stafford Hill Solar Farm is the first PV installation to utilise a micro-grid powered just by solar and battery back-up, with no other fuel source.
Matt Card, vice president, global sales and marketing of Suniva, said: “This landmark project is a milestone for the solar industry and we are proud to be the supplier of the modules. Our high-powered Optimus solar modules enable a three-fold solution: clean power to the community, a backup system providing energy security and the reuse of land.”
Mary Powell, president and CEO of Green Mountain Power, added: “Stafford Hill is a major breakthrough in creating more resilient and strong communities throughout Vermont. This innovative project is also a terrific example of how, working together, we can transform space that would otherwise be unusable into something that is critical to the community in times of need.”
