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NAVFAC Awards Contract For Energy-Saving Solar Project

Navy News Service

Story Number: NNS110808-14
8/8/2011

By Mario T. Icari, Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southwest Public Affairs

SAN DIEGO (NNS) -- Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Southwest awarded an $8.5 million construction contract July 26 to Stronghold Engineering Inc. of Riverside, Calif., for the construction of a solar photovoltaic system at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton.

Stronghold Engineering Inc. will provide design, engineering, procurement, and construction of a solar photovoltaic system. The new solar photovoltaic system will occupy more than four acres within Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton's Installation Restoration Site 7 (Box Canyon), where a recently constructed ARRA-funded solar system is currently in use.

"The project helps to meet the Marine Corps' mandatory renewable energy goals, energy security goals and carbon footprint reduction goals by producing green power on-site on a piece of real estate that otherwise can't be beneficially occupied," said Jorge Perez, NAVFAC Southwest Desert IPT construction manager.

The new system solar array totals 5,136 solar modules, each solar module rated at 280 watts. Solar modules' direct power will be converted to utility grade distribution power by using five 260 kilowatt high efficiency power converters, able to produce annually approximately 2.1 million kwh, enough electricity to power about 315 California homes (each with annual average consumption of 6,960 kwh) during sun peak hours, each year for over 25 years.

The new solar photovoltaic system will be equipped with a performance monitoring system able to pinpoint the location of any defective single solar module or defective string of solar modules. The solar system will be warranted for performance for 15 years, solar modules warranted for 25 years and inverters warranted for 20 years.

"This project provides new opportunities to NAVFAC's expertise and offers engineering innovation by installing the new utility-scale solar photovoltaic systems in an old landfill area, by means of studying the impact of the solar system on the utility power distribution grid, by implementing effective methods to construct these types of facilities, and by utilizing more efficient solar technologies," said Perez.

NAVFAC Southwest is the contracting activity. Work is expected to be completed by August 2012.

This initiative is one of many throughout the Navy and Marine Corps which will enable the Department of the Navy to achieve Secretary Ray Mabus' energy goals to improve our energy security and efficiency afloat and ashore, increase our energy independence, and help lead the nation toward a clean energy economy.