Denver-based SolSource will design, engineer, and install the Photovoltaic system. When complete, the 1.2 megawatt (MW) project will be the largest solar PV array at Buckley Air Force Base (BAFB) and the largest solar electric system at an air force base in Colorado. The system will consist of over 5,000 ground-mounted SolarWorld 230-watt Sunmodules on six acres adjacent to the base’s air traffic control tower.  The 100 percent American-made SolarWorld modules have an anti-reflective coating approved by the Federal Aviation Commission for safe use in a flight zone, and each panel is individually flash tested for reflectivity and energy performance.

“We are honored to be awarded the Buckley contract and to continue to support the U.S. Armed Forces in their growing use of renewable energy,” said Jeff Scott, president and founder of SolSource Inc. “We are now actively working with our AMEC team partners to deliver a completed solar PV project significantly ahead of the scheduled 449 days allowable by the Air Force contract,” said Scott.

For the Buckley project SolSource will manage the design, installation, startup, testing, and training regarding the solar PV generation.  SolSource will also install a computer data monitoring system for online monitoring, both for real time and historic power generation and continue to service the system after installation.

The 1.2 MW Buckley contract is SolSource’s largest military project to date.  Since 2005, the company has successfully met the environmental and technical specifications of the military with a total of 10 on-base solar systems for U.S. Army and Air Force facilities in Colorado. Completed SolSource military installations include five solar electric and solar thermal installations at BAFB, in addition to solar energy systems for Fort Carson Army Base, Peterson Air Force Base, Schriever Air Force Base, and the Veteran’s Affairs Medical Center.

These solar energy systems help the U.S. Armed Forces meet the requirements of the Federal Energy Policy Act of 2005 and Executive Order 13423 to incorporate renewable energy sources into their operations. The Order states: “… of the total quantity of electric energy the Federal government consumes during any fiscal year the following amounts shall be renewable energy - not less than 3 percent in each of fiscal years 2007 through 2009, and not less than 5 percent in each of fiscal years 2010 through 2012.”  (Source: Energy Policy Act of 2005). The U.S. Department of Defense is the largest energy consumer in the United States.

Since its inception in 2004, SolSource has designed and installed over 400 solar electric and thermal systems in Colorado. The company provides renewable energy and green building solutions to institutional, commercial and residential customers to help clients reduce energy costs and lower their impact on the environment.  SolSource’s clients include government agencies, architects, builders, corporations, schools, energy services companies, and homeowners. The company’s engineering and sales teams are knowledgeable in the technical intricacies of photovoltaic power generation, grid interconnection, roofing systems, electrical and building codes, and third party financing for complex institutional systems to ensure that projects run smoothly, on schedule, and on budget.