More exciting news out of Florida as Polk County is stepping up the push for solar energy solutions. By this time next year, 18 percent of the power consumed by Bartow residents (of Polk County) could be produced by solar power. This number to be up from the current six percent.
“It may not sound like a big number, but it’s actually a huge number,” Bartow City Manager George Long said. “We rank up there on the top with the big boys. This project is really a big deal.”
In Orange County on November 18th, George Long and others broke ground on one of the largest municipal solar projects in the United States according to the Florida Municipal Power Agency, an agency formed in 1978 and owned by a group of Floridian cities that sell power to their residents.
The Florida Municipal Solar Project is a partnership between Bartow, 11 other cities, the FMPA and Florida Renewable Partners,LLC.
How Much Solar Energy is to Be Installed
Over the course of three phases, a total of approximately 900,000 solar panels will be installed at two sites in Osceola County and at one site in Orange County.
“That’s enough solar panels to fill 900 football fields or stretch from Jacksonville Beach to Key West two and a half times,” according to a FMPA press release.
The project will generate 223.5 megawatts of zero-emissions energy — or enough electricity to power 45,000 typical Florida homes.
Bartow Electric and the other participating municipal electric utilities will purchase power from the project. The city is contracted to purchase 13 megawatts of solar energy, which will become available next year.
“There are no up-front costs for the participating municipal electric utilities and Bartow Electric will only pay for the power it purchases. Solar is a better price than traditional energy generation, so it saves residents money,” Long said.
Electricity in Bartow Was Costly
Back in 2010, the price of electricity in Bartow was one of the highest in the state and the Bartow City Commission set a goal of reducing that cost to residents. For the past two years, the price of electricity in Bartow has been among one of the lowest in the state with expectations that the cost could be even lower next year.
The 12 local utilities that will purchase power from the municipal project include: Alachua, Bartow, Beaches Energy Services (Jacksonville Beach), Fort Pierce Utilities Authority, Homestead, Keys Energy Services (Key West), Kissimmee Utility Authority, Lake Worth Beach, Ocala, Orlando Utilities Commission, Wauchula and Winter Park.
When complete, the power output from this project will be equal to 37,250 average-size rooftop solar systems. To enhance efficiency, the ground-mounted solar panels will be installed with a computer-controlled tracking system that moves the panel to track the sun as it travels from east to west, maximizing power output.
The cost of solar energy from this project is about one-third the cost of electricity from a typical private, rooftop system.
Net 0 Energy Solutions
Net 0 Energy Homes knows all of this info and will be the first to tell you that the energy tides are turning. If you are interested in solar solutions and you don’t live in a city like this, contact Net 0 Energy now.
Net 0 Energy Homes employs a highly experienced team of expert solar panel installers of domestic and commercial solar panel (PV) systems across South Florida, including West Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Miami, Florida Keys, and the Bahamas.
We also provide and install radiant barrier attack shield, quality insulation, solar water heaters, solar pool heaters, and a myriad of other amazing products to keep your home’s heating and cooling costs as low as modern science will allow.
Net 0 Zero Energy solar electricity systems are made of high-quality US manufactured modules of top tier quality. While our solar water heating systems are manufactured by Solar Development Incorporated, Florida’s oldest solar manufacturer located in Palm Beach County since 1974.