SunPower & Baltimore Partner For 30 MW Projects

• SunPower to cover two closed landfills at Hernwood and Parkton in Baltimore County with solar systems
• These projects are expected to generate over 30 MW of clean energy
• County to pay $0 upfront and SunPower and its financiers to cover the cost of the arrays
• With this initiative, Baltimore County is expected to achieve its aggressive sustainability goals

US solar company SunPower announced new projects with Baltimore County, which will entail covering two closed landfills with solar systems. Located at the closed Hernwood and Parkton landfills, these large-scale solar energy projects mark another new milestone for the County to address climate change. These projects are expected to generate over 30 MW of clean energy, which is roughly equivalent to the power used by one third of the County's municipal buildings, including government facilities.

Executive Vice President for Commercial Direct at SunPower Eric Potts said, "Electricity savings from solar can help municipalities invest more money into our schools, parks and community centers. We applaud Baltimore County for transforming otherwise under-utilized land into productive solar parks, enabling them to achieve their ambitious sustainability goals while significantly improving the County's budget."

Under power purchase agreements, the County will pay $0 upfront and SunPower and its financiers will cover the cost of the arrays. Post that, the County will pay a flat, fixed rate per kWh for the solar generated over the next 25 years. This is expected to save millions of dollars in electricity costs.

Speaking about this development, Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski said, "We're proud to be taking a bold step forward to ensure Baltimore County remains a statewide leader in renewable energy and help build a greener and cleaner future for our communities. Climate change poses one of the most significant threats to our long-term health and prosperity. That is why we are thankful for this partnership with SunPower to transform these sites into productive alternative energy sources, further reducing Baltimore County's carbon footprint and helping us meet our renewable energy goals."

Along with other sustainability initiatives, this solar project in Baltimore County is expected to help the County achieve its aggressive sustainability goals of completing future renewable energy projects that are set to generate electricity equivalent to 100 percent of Baltimore County's electricity demand by 2026 and 125 percent by 2030. The projects will now enter the design and permitting phase, with construction expected to begin in 2022 and to be fully operational by 2023.

Doug Rose, VP Technology Strategy at Sun Power had shard background about 'Maxeon IBC – how it combines high efficiency with superior reliability' at TaiyangNews Virtual Conference on High Efficiency Solar Technologies (see  TaiyangNews Virtual Conference on High Efficiency Solar Technologies – From PERC, HJT to TopCon and IBC)