Airport Breaks Ground on $6 Million Solar Facility
BAKERSFIELD Calif. - The Kern County Department of Airports in conjunction with the Kern County Board of Supervisors and Regenesis Power, LLC will officially break ground on a $6 million solar array at Meadows Field (BFL) on July 31, 2008, at 9:00 a.m.
The public is invited to attend the ground breaking which will take place northwest of the William M. Thomas terminal at 9:00 a.m. on Thursday, July 31, 2008.
The solar array field at Meadows Field Airport will be the largest government solar installation in Kern County, covering six acres and consisting of 4704 solar modules. Regenesis Power, LLC will finance, own, operate, and maintain the facility. The total investment by Regenesis will be approximately $6,000,000. The cost of power from Regenesis will be set for the 20-year term of the agreement. Meadows Field Airport will recognize savings of greater than $1 million over 20 years. The project is scheduled to be completed by the end of this year, with final commissioning completed by the end of January, 2009.
According to Regenesis, the Meadows Field Airport solar facility will result in the following annual reductions of greenhouse gasses:
• 4,000 pounds of nitrogen oxides
• 7,000 pounds of sulfur dioxide
• 2,000,000 pounds of carbon dioxide
The solar facility is designed to provide power to the William M. Thomas terminal; however the installation can be expanded to meet the future energy needs of Meadows Field Airport. The solar facility will provide an estimated 73% of the total annual power needs. The County will pay Regenesis a set amount per kWh for all solar power generated, even if the array produces more than the terminal uses. Most of the solar power generated will be used directly by the terminal, however during peak hours in the summer, solar production can exceed the power demands of the terminal and excess solar power will be automatically sold back to PG&E. According to Jack Gotcher, Kern County Airports Director, “We will be doing our part to mitigate brownouts during these peak periods by adding power to the grid rather than drawing power from it.” The County will also benefit from excess energy production by purchasing energy from Regenesis at a lower rate and selling the excess energy back to PG&E at market rate.
