The city of Palmdale recently announced the completion of an aggregate 976kW DC solar generation project. Located at Palmdale’s Civic Center, DryTown Water Park and Marie Kerr Park, the system is designed to generate more than 1,580 MWh of electricity per year and meet nearly 70% of the electricity needs for the three sites. The inauguration was attended by representatives from the city of Palmdale, Constellation and PsomasFMG attended the event.

“This project is another example of Palmdale’s commitment to providing clean energy while saving money for our taxpayers,” said Palmdale Mayor Jim Ledford. “It is a perfect complement to what we are currently doing in the areas of energy conservation, and will help us meet our state mandated greenhouse gas reduction goals.”

Solar firm PsomasFMG worked with the city to develop the project. Energy products and services company Constellation financed the project’s development and will own and operate the system. Palmdale will purchase the electricity generated by the system at a fixed-rate through a 20-year power purchase agreement with Constellation.

The solar power arrays are comprised of approximately 3,200 PV panels located on shade structures, which were designed to blend with the look and feel of the city’s surroundings. The system will help the city of Palmdale meet state mandates for renewable power generation and greenhouse gas reduction and is expected to eliminate 1,201 tons of carbon dioxide annually according to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency data for the region.

(Photo Credit: Wikipedia)