The Carlisle Area School District has unveiled a new 1.2 megawatt (MW) solar power array that will help educate as it provides clean renewable energy. Henkels and McCoy designed and constructed the solar array using solar panels from industry leader Sharp.
The solar installation is expected to produce approximately 1,500,000 kilowatt hours of solar power a year. On an annual basis, the solar energy produced will reduce CO2 emissions by approximately 2,055,000 pounds, the equivalent of eliminating 178 cars from the road per year. Carlisle School District will now be able to meet approximately sixteen percent of its electricity needs with clean, emissions-free solar power.
State and local officials, as well as community members, attended a ceremony at Bellaire School in Carlisle this afternoon to flip the ceremonial switch on the project. Attendees included Pennsylvania governor Edward Rendell, who delivered remarks on the importance of green energy to the state's future.
The new ground-mount solar array includes 1,227 kW of Sharp's 240 W monocrystalline panels and 9.2 kW of Sharp's 115 W framed thin film panels, allowing students to study and compare the performance of both technologies. This project was financed in part by a grant from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Commonwealth Financing Authority.
The Project was also funded by the Pennsylvania Energy Development Authority using monies from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Additional Funding will be provided to the school district under the ACT 129 renewable energy rebate program.
"We're thrilled that the largest solar installation at a Pennsylvania school district is here in Carlisle," said John Freind, Superintendent of the Carlisle Area School District. "Bringing the message of the importance of renewable energy sources to our students will help create a greener future. It's a win for our students, for the state and for the future of our planet," he said.
"We are very honored to have participated in this landmark and visionary project from the start. It is extremely gratifying to see the involvement of local labor in an initiative with so many benefits to the community. The Carlisle Area School District has our sincere best wishes for long-term success," stated Rod Henkels, President and CEO of Henkels and McCoy.
"Sharp is delighted to work with Henkel's and McCoy to help the Carlisle Area School District educate its students about renewable energy while simultaneously reducing its carbon footprint," said Eric Hafter, senior vice president of Sharp Solar Energy Solutions Group.
"Renewable energy projects such as this one are not only good for the environment – they're good for the economy as well as we they create new green jobs here in Pennsylvania and nationwide."
Using breakthrough technology, made possible by nearly 50 years of proprietary research and development, Sharp's solar panels are designed to withstand rigorous operating conditions, while offering high power output per square foot of solar array.
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