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Powering a modern military.
Fort Carson: A Case Study
Located just south of Colorado Springs, Colorado, Fort Carson is an active U.S. Army installation that supports 10 different military units with more than 19,000 active-duty personnel. As one of the largest Army military facilities in the western United States, it is home to two combat brigades, the 10th Special Forces Group and headquarters for Division West 1st U.S. Army which is responsible for training all Reserve Component units west of the Mississippi River. The Army has a strong commitment to clean, renewable energy; and, Fort Carson has one of the most forward-thinking energy strategies and track records in the Department of Defense. One objective of the installations’ Garrison Commander Strategic Action Plan is to sustain all facility and mobility systems from renewable sources by 2027.
Fort Carson is today the site of the largest solar array at a U.S. Army facility and one of the largest in Colorado. This 2 MW application is a fixed tilt, ground-mounted photovoltaic array with nearly 27,600 flat-plate, thin-film modules that are expected to produce energy efficiently for up to 40 years. Covering almost 12 acres on top of a former landfill, it produces 3,200 MWh annually, enough to power nearly 500 homes.
As part of Conergy Group, SunTechnics designed and constructed the project which was completed in late 2007. SunTechnics’ proven engineering expertise was a critical factor in building the array. Due to Fort Carson’s rapid growth land is at a premium; building on the inactive landfill required considerable design ingenuity to meet environmental regulations. As the world’s largest installer of solar systems, Suntechnics’ ability to provide a customized solution and assure a maximum return on investment made a significant difference in the outcome of this high-profile project.
Collaboration was key to the project’s viability and makes it a model for large-scale renewable energy systems. Xcel Energy will purchase the renewable energy credits (RECs) for 20 years under its incentive program, which supports Colorado’s Amendment 37 initiative to get 20 percent of the state’s power from renewable energy by 2020. The RECs will offset nearly 28 percent of the installation’s fossil energy use. Colorado Springs Utilities will host the system on its grid. And, the Western Area Power Administration (WAPA), part of the U.S. Department of Energy, will procure power from the system for transmission to 15 western and central states. California-based 3 Phases Energy was the Fort Carson project developer. “This project is an example of successful collaboration between a developer, state, federal, the U.S. Army, utilities and the financing community,” said Edward Levin, Vice President of Morgan Stanley’s Global Structured Products Group, the project investor and long-term owner. The Fort Carson solar array represents one of the first major customer-sited projects to emerge from Colorado’s voter-led initiative to make the state a leading user of renewable energy.
“Using Colorado’s abundant sunshine and available federal land to continue charting a new course for our energy future made sense,” said Vince Guthrie, Fort Carson Utilities Manager. He added, “Reducing Fort Carson’s reliance on fossil fuels helps us build a sustainable energy future that is good for our bottom line, the environment, and national security.” This solar project is one piece of a broader strategy to increase the energy independence of the military and the nation.
