Seal Solar completes 2-megawatt array for Washington County
by June 3, 2020 1:25 pm 1,354 views
The largest county-owned solar array in Arkansas has started operating in south Fayetteville, according to a news release.
North Little Rock-based Seal Solar activated Wednesday (June 3) the 2.01-megawatt array installed on the roof of Washington County’s south campus near Clydesdale Drive. The 5,400-panel system is part of the county’s $8-million energy-efficiency measures, spearheaded by Johnson Controls’ Performance Infrastructure division. The measures are expected to save taxpayers $10.2 million in electricity costs over 10 years.
“By investing in solar energy production, Washington County is able to significantly reduce its grid consumption,” said Dwight Gonzalez, the county’s director of buildings and grounds. “It’s a smart financial decision for the county, particularly during these uncertain economic times.”
The array is expected to offset energy consumption at the following county buildings: animal shelter, armory, bridge building, library, election commission, courthouse, judicial annex, juvenile detention center, maintenance shop, rescue and training center, road department and the sheriff’s office and jail.
“Since 2012, Seal Solar has tackled groundbreaking projects to empower entities across the state to achieve energy independence,” said Josh Davenport, co-founder and CEO of Seal Solar. “Once again, we’re proud to lead the charge on an unprecedented solar design and installation project with the largest county-owned and rooftop array in Arkansas.”
The array complements Johnson Controls’ energy-efficiency project, which includes 2,327 LED light fixtures and controls, 137 water conservation retrofits and upgrades, 88 pieces of HVAC equipment, county-wide energy management system, new fire alarms and building enhancements such as weather stripping.
“Judge [Joseph] Wood and his team challenged us to help them think outside the box and bring fresh innovation in serving the people of Washington County,” said Alex Ray, director of business development for performance infrastructures, Arkansas of Johnson Controls. “We are proud and honored to deliver such a milestone project for the county and region.”