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Cherry Point Starts Project to Harness Solar Energy

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS090325-14
Release Date: 3/25/2009 9:59:00 PM

By Jeanie Purvis, Naval Facilities Engineering Command Mid-Atlantic, Resident Officer In Charge of Construction Cherry Point

NORFOLK, Va. (NNS) -- The installation of Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Cherry Point's first solar panels began March 6; the effort is expected to harness solar energy in a flight-line warehouse.

With 240 solar photovoltaic (PV) panels, Cherry Point will soon begin displacing some of its electrical consumption by harnessing the sun's power using solar energy panels.

This environmentally friendly project, originated through the Energy Initiative Program, will offset energy use and demonstrate using renewable energy as an alternative source.

"The solar panels occupy approximately 15 percent of the available roof space on Building 1016, which allows this project to be scaled from 50 KW to as much as 300 KW in the future," said Construction Manager Lt. Mike McManus, Naval Facilities Engineering Command Mid-Atlantic, Resident Officer in Charge of Construction (ROICC) Cherry Point.

Renewable energy (RE) can also be sold as renewable energy credits (RECs) to competing utility companies. RECs allow RE generator output to be sold in 1000 kilowatt-hour (KWH) increments to power companies to comply with "green energy" mandates or consumers who wish to buy renewable energy in a desire to "go green".

Solar PV panels directly convert sunshine to direct current (DC) electricity which is converted to alternating current (AC) electricity and fed into the electrical system using an inverter.

The PV system at Building 1016 has a maximum power output of 50 kilowatts (KW) and is expected to have an annual energy production of 90,000 KWH. This is comparable to the yearly energy consumption of four average size homes.

The system is expected to provide about 25 percent of Building 1016's energy during sunny hours. The marginal electrical KWH price at Cherry Point varies from about six cents to as high as 60 cents during peak load hours which generally occur during daytime, so this system will help displace some of the most expensive energy purchased.

During off peak load hours, such as weekends, excess energy produced by the system will flow back into the grid and be purchased by the local utility company. The system will be tied into the existing Energy Monitoring and Control System (EMCS) to measure the energy produced, as well as the amount of energy returned to the grid.

The project will allow the air station to gain valuable experience with commercial scale renewable energy technology and as a renewable energy generator. This knowledge will be beneficial as future projects are considered.

Quality Roofers, along with their subcontractor Southern Energy Management, are installing the panels.

As an integral part of the Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Enterprise, NAVFAC Mid-Atlantic manages the planning, design and construction of shore facilities for the U.S. Navy from Maine to North Carolina.

For more news from Naval Facilities Engineering Command, visit www.navy.mil/local/navfachq/.