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Solar Power to Fuel Columbia Association's Electricity
Energy will provide nearly 25 percent of CA consumption—enough clean, renewable power to meet needs of two of CA's fitness facilities.
Columbia Association (CA) has taken a significant stride in using clean energy and reducing its carbon footprint by partnering with BITHENERGY and SunEdison on a cutting-edge project.
Each year for the next 20 years, CA will be purchasing 2,500 megawatt-hours of solar electricity generated from approximately 2 megawatts of a new 10-megawatt solar farm being built off Route 32 near Interstate 70 in western Howard County. This 2-megawatt portion of the farm is a total of 12 acres, equivalent to nine football fields of solar panels.
The energy produced will provide enough clean, renewable power to meet the needs of two of CA’s fitness facilities — Columbia Athletic Club and Columbia Gym — the equivalent of nearly 25 percent of CA’s total electricity consumption each year. The project also will eliminate about 1,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions associated with CA’s operations.
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“This solar project is a great step for our community and for the world we leave to our children,” said Milton W. Matthews, president and CEO of Columbia Association. “From a sustainability perspective, it’s absolutely the right thing to do. It will reduce CA’s carbon footprint by more than 13 percent, and our organization also benefits from the project by purchasing clean power at competitive rates.”
“We are delighted that the Columbia Association will benefit from the clean, renewable energy that will be generated from our 10-megawatt solar power plant that is being built in Howard County,” said Robert L. Wallace, president and CEO of BITHENERGY Inc. “Our engineering staff has worked diligently over the last few years to make the Nixon Solar Farm a model solar energy project that simplifies the process by which governments, nonprofits, and commercial businesses seamlessly benefit from robust renewable energy options. Once completed, the Nixon Solar Farm will be the largest solar power plant in Howard County and one of the largest in the State of Maryland.”
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CA has partnered with BITHENERGY and SunEdison to facilitate the delivery of this project. The power generated from Nixon’s Farm is delivered through a virtual net-metering program administered by Baltimore Gas and Electric (BGE). The program for municipalities, nonprofits and agricultural facilities allows renewable energy generated at remote locations to be credited to additional off-taker utility accounts so long as they are within the same electric service territory.
“Baltimore Gas and Electric’s virtual net-metering program is a huge win for nonprofits and municipalities in the area,” said Michael Volpe, sales director at SunEdison. “The virtual net-metering program allows customers to save on space and save on electricity costs by locating the solar panels off-site. We hope other nonprofits and municipalities in the area follow Columbia Association’s lead and leverage this program to lock in energy savings and attain their sustainability goals.”
“CA has been looking to take a big step with respect to renewable energy for a long time, and a combination of this nearby solar farm and the virtual net metering through BGE provided us with the right opportunity,” said Jeremy Scharfenberg, CA’s energy manager.
CA is actively working to reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions associated with its operations. Numerous upgrades have been made throughout CA’s building portfolio to reduce lighting loads, and improve the efficiency of air conditioning and water heating equipment. Securing a large portion of our energy supply from solar generation builds on these energy conservation efforts and greatly advances our sustainability mission.
A video about CA’s solar farm project can be seen at youtube.com/watch?v=adbAYx58shg.
About Columbia Association
Columbia Association (CA) is a nonprofit service corporation that manages Columbia, Maryland, a planned community that is home to approximately 100,000 people and several thousand businesses. Additional information about CA is available at ColumbiaAssociation.org.
About BITHENERGY
BITHENERGY, Inc. is an award winning energy engineering and technical services consulting firm that assists clients in maximizing the business value and efficiency of their energy subsystems. Headquartered in the Mount Vernon Business District of Baltimore City with offices in Howard County, BITHENERGY has become a leader in developing business solutions that address the energy demands and challenges of today. By providing solution delivery systems in energy management, smart grid design, energy consulting, and development of renewable energy systems (solar and wind), BITHENERGY has become a recognized leader in providing innovative energy solutions that maximize efficiency and enhance business value.
About SunEdison
SunEdison is a global leader in transforming how energy is generated, distributed and owned. SunEdison manufactures solar technology and develops, finances, installs and operates distributed solar power plants, delivering predictably priced electricity and services to its residential, commercial, government and utility customers. To date, SunEdison has financed 22 megawatts of solar power production in the state of Maryland from its local office in Beltsville. The company also provides 24/7 asset management, monitoring and reporting services for hundreds of solar systems worldwide via the company’s Renewable Operation Center (ROC). SunEdison has offices in North America, Europe, Latin America, Africa and Asia. SunEdison’s common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “SUNE.” To learn more visit www.sunedison.com.
