Building Energy SpA, multinational company operating as a global integrated IPP in the Renewable Energy Industry, announces the beginnging of construction of the Annapolis Solar Park, a 18 MW photovoltaic system stretching over an 80-acre area occupied by a landfill in the City of Annapolis, in Anne Arundel County, Maryland. The start of construction has been celebrated on the occasion of an inauguration event in the presence of Annapolis Mayor Michael Pantelides, County Executive Steve Schuh, Annapolis City Alderpersons and Building Energy Managing Director North America Andrea Braccialarghe. 

This solar park, that will use over 50,000 panels to convert sunlight into electricity, will be the largest solar project exclusively installed on a closed landfill in the United States, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Building Energy entirely owns the power plant and will operate the facility, the construction of which is expected to be completed in the spring of 2018. 

The City of Annapolis, Anne Arundel County and Anne Arundel County Board of Education signed a power purchase agreements for the energy produced by the facility, which will be used to power City, County and school buildings and operations. Of the plant's total production capacity, Anne Arundel County is purchasing 50%, the City of Annapolis 33%, while the Anne Arundel County Board of Education the remaining 17%. 

Several subcontracts have been awarded to local firms for the construction and operation of the plant, creating more than 100 green jobs. The project will also bring financial benefits to the City of Annapolis over the next 20 years, ensuring real energy cost savings. 

The amount of electricity produced by the photovoltaic plant in 20 years will be equal to reducing annual greenhouse gas emissions from 3,168 passenger vehicles or offsetting CO2 emissions from electricity use of 2,070 homes for one year, which corresponds to 12.5% of the Annapolis annual household electricity consumption. The same energy could otherwise compensate for the equivalent amount of carbon captured by 12,334 acres of U.S. forests in one year. 

Building Energy has been present in many US states since 2013 with more than 500 MW of projects under development, spread across different renewable energy technologies. 

Fabrizio Zago, CEO of Building Energy, stated "We are proud to begin construction of the solar park and to celebrate it with the representatives from the Annapolis community. Building Energy, as owner of the entire solar asset, funded the development costs of the project, is responsible for the construction and operation of the facility and arranged a 36-million-dollar financial transaction through one of the largest financial services corporations in the US. This project represents a new success for our company, which is active along the entire chain of the renewable energy industry, from the development to the operation of renewable energy assets, in US and abroad." 

Building Energy | www.buildingenergy.it