OUC Partners on Largest Solar Rooftop Array in Southeast at the Orange County Convention Center In May 2009, OUC joined Orange County to
In addition to the grant, OUC contributed
flip the switch on the largest rooftop solar PV
$1.5 million to the project and would receive
system in the Southeast United States. The 1-MW
10 years worth of Renewable Energy Credits.
array atop the Orange County Convention Center
The PV system, which utilizes high-efficiency,
was the result of a partnership between OUC and
flat-plate collectors, covered about 200,000
Orange County that was awarded a $2.5 million
square feet of the Convention Center’s
grant from the State of Florida to install the
North/South building and would generate
landmark project. DOE named the installation
1,300 to 1,500 MWH of electricity per year —
a Solar America Showcase.
the equivalent amount of power used by 80 to
In 2010, OUC added a 31-kW solar array atop the Dr. Phillips Cinedome at the Orlando Science Center.
100 typical homes. And no greenhouse gas emissions would be produced in the process.
A Solar City in the Sunshine State OUC’s efforts to ready Central Florida for a renewable future were rewarded in 2008 as its hometown was designated a “Solar America City” by the U.S. Department of Energy. The ongoing green partnership between OUC, the City of Orlando and Orange County received $450,000 in funding and technical expertise to help develop solar projects in the community that could be replicated across the country. The previous year, OUC had launched solar photovoltaic and solar thermal programs that helped customers eliminate the upfront costs of solar. The program included a partnership with the Orlando Federal Credit Union to provide no- or low-interest loans to homeowners.
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