REC Solar, a national enterprise in solar electric system design and installation, and Integrated Solar, a Vermont renewable energy company, announced on December 19th they have been selected to build a 2.5-megawatt DC solar array in Brattleboro, Vermont. The system will be owned and operated by Winstanley Enterprises, a New England property owner. The project is a key part of Vermont’s initiative to reach 55 percent renewable energy by 2017.

REC Solar will serve as the lead contractor on the project, while Integrated Solar will install the system. When the 8,300 panel array is complete, it will be one of the largest solar energy projects in Vermont.

“This system will provide enough power to bring clean electricity to meet nine percent of Brattleboro’s annual energy needs – 40 percent during peak hours – while fueling local construction jobs,” said Andy Cay, president and owner of Integrated Solar.

Under Vermont’s Sustainably Priced Energy Development (SPEED) Program, all of the renewable energy produced by the system will be purchased through a feed-in tariff. The SPEED program was created to help Vermont reach its renewable energy goals, which require that utilities purchase 55 percent of their electricity portfolio from renewable energy by 2017, and 75 percent by 2032.