Yesterday SolarCity announced the next phase of its SolarStrong project: solar PV installations on 850 homes at three air force bases.
Working with property developer Lend Lease, SolarCity will engineer, install and maintain the solar systems at Tierra Vista at the Los Angeles Air Force Base, and Peterson AFB and Schriever AFB, both in Colorado Springs.
The total 18,000 solar panels installed will produce around 6.4 million kWh of energy annually – enough to provide up between 30 and 60 percent of the power needed for each AFB.
“The United States military is aggressively pursuing reductions in its fossil fuel energy use—SolarStrong gives privatized military housing communities an affordable way to use solar electricity,” said SolarCity CEO Lyndon Rive.
“With its decades of experience developing sustainable communities around the world, Lend Lease continues to be a more than capable partner in this effort.”
A SolarCity installation at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, AZ. Photo: SolarCity
This new phase is just one part of a five year program that will create 300 MW of solar capacity, powering 120,000 military housing units, and potentially generating over $1 billion in solar projects.
Project SolarStrong will both contribute to the military’s goal of increasing renewable energy use and also reduce pressure on electricity grids during peak demand times.
“We are committed to finding ways to meet the energy challenges of our lifetime and helping the Defense Department, currently the largest energy consumer in the United States, meet its goal of having 25% of its overall energy consumption derived from clean, renewable sources by 2025,” said Simon Muir, VP and director of Solar Services, Lend Lease.
“This is another big step toward that direction.”
