Peoria Water Reclamation Facility gets Boost from Solar Power

City’s first solar project to save energy, contribute to cleaner environment

(PEORIA, Ariz.) – The City of Peoria’s new Beardsley Water Reclamation Facility (WRF) will generate a portion of its own electricity needs, thanks to a photovoltaic solar power array currently being installed. The new solar power installation is Peoria’s first municipal solar project, and includes a 60 kW photovoltaic system designed by ETA Engineering and installed by Dependable Solar Products, Inc.

“We’re excited about this project because it not only saves energy, but also will provide opportunities for the public to learn more about solar and its contribution to a cleaner environment,” said City of Peoria Public Works/ Utilities Director Bill Mattingly.

Working under General Contractor Aubrey Roumo of Felix Construction, Dependable Solar Products has installed a “solar farm,” a group of 266 ground-mounted solar modules that will generate 26 percent of the electricity needed by the water reclamation plant’s operations building.

“Using photovoltaic power at this water reclamation facility will help stabilize energy costs and reduce emissions,” said Lane Garrett, founder and CEO of Dependable Solar Products. “The reduction of 101,000 kilowatt-hours of power per year is equivalent to an annual reduction of 75.7 tons of CO_2, the equivalent of planting 379 trees each year.”

Dependable Solar and Felix Construction also plan to donate “solar learning modules” to nearby Peoria schools. According to David Wright, director of engineering for ETA Engineering and project manager for Dependable Solar Products, “These learning modules will help science teachers educate students about how photovoltaic modules work and the role solar power will play in the future.”

The Beardsley WRF solar power installation project, near 111^th Avenue and Union Hills Road, has taken approximately four months to install, and is expected to be completed by the end of December. It should be ready to provide power when it is commissioned by APS sometime in January 2010.

The City of Peoria plans an open house in March to dedicate the solar array and help the public learn more about solar energy options.

Published on behalf of ETA Engineering and Dependable Solar Products
ETA Engineering, Inc., and its affiliate Dependable Solar Products, Inc., offer engineering, consulting, design, project management and installation on a turnkey basis. ETA distributes and manufactures a full line of renewable energy products and has designed and installed photovoltaic lighting systems from small remote applications to large renewable power plants of all sizes. The company is also active in efforts toward village electrification in emerging countries.  For more information, visit: www.etaengineering.com/ or www.dependablesolarproducts.com/

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