Renewable energy developer AllEarth Renewables has announced that Vermont's largest solar array is now online.
Based out of Williston, Vermont, AllEarth Renewables provided 382 of its AllSun Trackers solar panels for the project. The panels were manufactured four miles from where the solar farm is located; all totalled they will combine to generate 2.2 MW.
The AllSun Trackers are pole mounted solar panels that use GPS to track the sun throughout the day which the company says allows them to produce 40% more energy than fixed solar panels. Each solar panel also employs an inverter that "boosts energy performance," which, according to AllEarth, makes the project the largest of its kind in North America.
The array is part of Vermont's Standard Offer Program and all of the energy generated from the solar farm will be sold to Sustainably Priced Energy Development Program (SPEED). In 2005, the Vermont General Assembly established the SPEED program to encourage the development of instate renewable energy.
In 2009, Vermont lawmakers enacted the Vermont Energy Act which "significantly modified the SPEED program." The Act established the Standard Offer program which was designed to encourage development of SPEED resources using different renewable technologies. Under the Standard Offer program developers are paid default prices for renewable energy sold to SPEED. These prices have been caluculated to recover developer's costs plus provide a return on their investment.
David Bittersdorf, CEO and founder of AllEarth Renewables ,said, “This project not only produces renewable energy from the sun, it creates a lot of local clean energy jobs.”
He added, “We’ve innovated and refined our AllSun Tracker so it can be affordably used to power homes or businesses, and at the same time make up a utility-sized farm like this project in South Burlington.”
Image Credit: Wichita Renewable Energy Group via Flickr
Joseph Baker is a freelance writer living in Vancouver BC. His areas of focus include renewable energy, sustainability and climate change.
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