Howard County Completes Massive Solar Array at Circuit Courthouse
Historic agreement to power up to three-quarters of local government energy needs with renewables
ELLICOTT CITY, MD – Howard County Executive Calvin Ball was joined by state and local officials to turn on first of 11 solar projects part of Howard County’s Power Purchase Agreement. The agreement is the largest of its kind in the state and will generate 44,000,000 kilowatt-hours (kWh) a year which will cover more than 75% of the County’s energy usage at the same price of current energy.
The PPA allows the County to buy power off solar arrays developed on both County owned land, such as the Circuit Courthouse, and private owned land in Howard County. Photos of the event can be found here. Drone video of the new solar arrays can be found here.
“Our historic solar power purchasing agreement, which will power more than 75% of the County’s operations, puts us on track to exceed our environmental and energy independence goals. We’re investing in bold solutions, backed by science, to sustain Howard County’s resources and combat climate change Now is our time, and now is our chance to make Howard County the leader in clean solar energy.”
This project will generate 1.1 million kWh a year which was enough to push the Courthouse from LEED Silver to LEED Gold. The Courthouse solar array is one of a few in the agreement that is a dual array – in this case a ground mount and a rooftop array. Additionally, a pollinator habitat will be grown under the ground mount array.
The other project sites of the PPA include:
Triple Creek Farm
Clear View Farm
Rural Rhythm Farm
East Columbia Library rooftop & carport
Gateway Building rooftop & carport
Walnut Creek and Walnut Grove Septic Fields
50+ Center in East Columbia
Waterloo Firehouse
Scaggsville Police Station
Detention Center
“CI Renewables is delighted to celebrate the commencement of operations of the Howard County Courthouse solar project, the first of 19 separate solar projects on 11 sites to supply Howard County with clean inexpensive solar power with no capital investment,” said Alan Epstein, CEO of CI Renewables. “These solar projects are a testament to the leadership and vision of County Executive Calvin Ball and the Howard County Office of Sustainability.”
“The Maryland Energy Administration (MEA) congratulates Howard County for their leadership in launching a comprehensive solar initiative that can aid in supplying the majority of their government operations with clean energy", said MEA Director Mary Beth Tung. "MEA’s Public Facilities Solar Program helps local governments, state institutions and other public entities defray the costs of solar on their facilities. That is why through this program, MEA was able to provide nearly one million dollars in aggregate to support this and seven other projects that are helping Maryland achieve its clean energy goals while creating jobs and more affordable energy for Maryland’s local jurisdictions. MEA looks forward to future collaborations with the County as it continues to demonstrate clean energy leadership.”