75-Kilowatt Solar System Unveiled at Ribbon-Cutting on NC State Campus Today
RALEIGH – Solar power pioneer Richard Harkrader, owner of Durham-based Carolina Solar Energy, has waited three years for this day. After countless delays and unforeseen hurdles, the solar project his company started in 2004 is up and running on NC State’s campus next to the RBC Center in Raleigh, making it the largest privately financed solar photovoltaic (PV) array installed on a university in North Carolina. The system was officially unveiled at a ribbon-cutting event held today. The 75.6 kilowatt (kW) system is comprised of 432 ground-mounted solar panels, and was first powered up on Monday, Oct. 29. The power it generates is sold to Progress Energy.
“I believe consumer demand for green power will quickly outpace supply in our state,” said Harkrader, who addressed the crowd at today’s ribbon-cutting event, which was attended by about 75 people. “One of our goals with this project and our other large solar projects across the state, is to show that solar power isn’t just for people in California and Nevada – it is feasible on a large scale right now, right here in North Carolina.”
Until now, the Tarheel State’s primary investors in solar power have been homeowners, environmentalists, and a smattering of green-niche companies and large corporations.
“The largest private solar PV systems in the past have typically been in the 10- to 30-kW range,” said Bob Kingery, co-owner of Southern Energy management, which collaborated in the design and installation of the system.
Now, it seems apparent a real market transformation for renewable energy is happening in North Carolina – thanks to a combination of factors, including federal and state tax incentives, demand created by NC GreenPower, and the NC Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard (REPS) legislation passed in 2007.
“We’ve seen the demand for large solar systems grow rapidly over the past few years,” Kingery said. “That growth is not only helping add to our state’s supply of clean energy, but it’s also creating jobs and strengthening our local economy.”
Steve Kalland, director of the N.C. Solar Center and a member of the NC GreenPower Board of Directors, couldn’t agree more. “At NC GreenPower, our mission is to supplement the state’s existing power supply with green energy, so we are certainly looking forward to more projects of this scale.”
Although photovoltaic solar technology has advanced in the past few decades, and prices are dropping, Harkrader notes the NC GreenPower Program, the state and federal tax credits and the REPS are still critical to the success of large-scale green energy in NC.
“The technology is maturing, prices are falling, and there is now no doubt solar power is becoming a viable investment in North Carolina,” Harkrader said.
With demand for renewable energy increasing, CSE is working to install several 100-kW systems across the state at businesses, schools, shopping centers and government facilities interested in hosting solar arrays.
