Standard Solar, Inc., a leader in the full-service development and installation of solar electric systems for commercial, government and residential customers, today announced it has been named a finalist in the Platts Global Energy Awards, an annual program recognizing exemplary industry leadership. The 2011 finalists, selected from more than 200 nominations, were announced this week by program host Platts, the leading global provider of energy, petrochemicals and metals information.

Established in 1999 and often described as “the Oscars” of the energy industry, Platts Global Energy Awards highlight corporate and individual innovation, leadership and superior performance in 19 categories spanning the entire energy complex.

Standard Solar is a finalist in the Engineering Project of the Year category for its solar PV installation at the University of Delaware (UD). UD’s solar array included more than 3,168 panels yielding an 850-kilowatt solar electric system. The system is expected to generate approximately 1,035,000 kilowatt hours of electricity each year and result in 1,810,000 fewer pounds of carbon dioxide being emitted annually. The avoided emissions will be the equivalent of reducing the use of 93,363 gallons of gasoline each year. 

UD’s panels were installed over three buildings throughout the school’s main campus in Newark: the Delaware Field House at the David Nelson Athletic Complex off South College Avenue, at Clayton Hall on the Laird Campus off Route 896 and at 461 Wyoming Road. The largest array of solar panels on the Delaware Field House, at the time of installation was the largest single rooftop installation in the state of Delaware and the first ever installation on a barrel-shaped rooftop. 

“We congratulate our finalists and look forward to spotlighting their accomplishments and all others when we unveil the Global Energy Awards winners in December.” said Larry Neal, president of Platts.

Nearly 600 guests are expected to attend the black-tie dinner at New York’s Cipriani Wall Street on Thursday, December 1, when the 2011 Global Energy Awards will be presented by Platts.

The awards event will be preceded in the morning of December 1 with an associated event, Platts Global Energy Outlook Forum, which features roundtable discussions from debates from executives, government officials and industry leaders on “The World’s Quest for Clean Energy.” 

For more information on the Awards, visit the Platts Global Energy Awards website.

About Standard Solar

Standard Solar, Inc. is a leader in the full-service development, construction, integration, financing and installation of solar electric systems. Dedicated to making solar solutions more accessible to consumers, businesses, institutions and governments, the company is leading the way to energy independence. Committed to offering responsible and energy cost-saving solar solutions that conform to the highest standards, Standard Solar is one of the most trusted and respected solar companies. Since 2004, Standard Solar has been the partner of choice to make solar energy financially accessible, helping customers through financing options, including Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) and navigating expanded federal and state and local tax credits. The company’s Standard Energy Solutions (SES) division provides energy auditing and retrofitting services for energy improvement projects. Named one of the Fastest Growing Private Companies in America in 2010 and 2011 by Inc. magazine, Standard Solar is headquartered in Rockville, MD. For more information, please visit www.standardsolar.com.

About Platts: Founded in 1909, Platts is a leading global provider of energy, petrochemicals and metals information and a premier source of benchmark prices for the physical and futures markets. Platts' news, pricing, analytics, commentary and conferences help customers make better-informed trading and business decisions and help the markets operate with greater transparency and efficiency. Customers in more than 150 countries benefit from Platts’ coverage of the carbon emissions, coal, electricity, oil, natural gas, metals, nuclear power, petrochemical, and shipping markets.  A division of The McGraw-Hill Companies (NYSE: MHP), Platts is headquartered in New York with more than 900 employees in more than 15 offices worldwide. Additional information is available at http://www.platts.com.