Aqua Pennsylvania, a company dealing in water treatment business, has inaugurated its largest solar farm at its utility. The $6.5 million, 1.8 MW solar project offers electricity to Aqua Pennsylvania’s largest water treatment facility, the Pickering plant.
The facility provides services to 27 municipalities situated in Delaware, Chester and Montgomery counties. The 6.5-acre solar farm is the eighth largest project in Pennsylvania.
The solar farm is made up of over 7,500 high-efficient solar panels, which convert sunlight into electricity. An amount of $1.5 million was disbursed by the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Financing Authority (CFA) for building this project.
Through the project, the grid-tied utilization by the company will be reduced to 2.3 million kWh per year that can save $207,000 annually. Additionally, the solar project will reduce PECO grid congestion. Hence, congestion charges and line losses will be reduced for customers as well.
During 2009, the company had constructed a 4.5-acre facility with 1.0 MW solar capacity at its Ingram’s Mill treatment plant located in East Bradford Township. This solar farm has brought down grid-tied utilization by 1.3 million kWh and the company had saved $130,000 per year.
The Pickering solar farm is the recent installation of the company. Through this project, 4.3 million carbon dioxide emissions can be cut down annually, which is equal to 380 passenger cars emissions and compensate the requirement for 1,400 barrels of oil per annum.
Source: http://www.aquaamerica.com/