FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Peggy Plate
970-490-7227 plate@wapa.gov
Nov. 5, 1999
LOVELAND, Colo.-Western Area Power Administration recently added to its growing 'green' portfolio. In October, the agency installed a 4 kW photovoltaic power system at its Rocky Mountain Customer Service office east of Loveland, Colo. The PV system, composed of 96 Solarex Millennia thin film amorphous silicon modules, uses an Omnion inverter to convert direct current solar power into alternating current. The electricity is then fed into the building to offset energy purchased from the local utility. This new system, capable of generating more than 8,000 kWh of clean energy every year, will operate optimally mid-day on sunny days. During summer, this corresponds with the building's peak energy demands.
The thin-film PV system was funded through a cost-shared grant from the Department of Energy's Federal Energy Management Program. Three other PV systems will be installed at Western facilities in Salt Lake City, Utah; Phoenix, Ariz.; and Folsom, for an additional 12 kW in green power.
As a Federal power marketing administration, Western is committed to promoting and using renewable resources. "It is just good business to support leading-edge commercial technologies for a more efficient future," noted Regional Manager Joel Bladow.
As part of its commitment to renewables, Western held an on-site workshop Oct. 27 during the Loveland installation. The workshop was designed to educate Western electric utility customers, school districts, college students and other Federal agencies on the basics of solar energy for building applications. More than 35 participants attended the hands-on workshop to learn how a PV system operates and how it can be integrated into buildings. They also learned how other utilities and communities are using these new technologies and are educating the next generation through real experiences with clean, environmentally friendly electric generation.
-more-
Federal agencies will be increasing their energy efficiency and using renewables as directed by Executive Order 13123-Greening the Government through Waste Prevention, Recycling and Federal Acquisition. Western's purchase and use of renewables, such as PV systems, is part of its plan for meeting the requirements of this order.
Western Area Power Administration annually markets and transmits more than 10,000 megawatts of power from hydroelectric powerplants owned and operated by the Bureau of Reclamation and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 15 central and western states. Its Rocky Mountain Customer Service Center serves utilities and rural electric cooperatives in Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, western Nebraska, and Kansas.
For more information on PV technology, contact Western at 800-472-2306, or check Western's Rocky Mountain Region web site at http://www.wapa.gov/RM/RM.HTM.
###
Serving the West