Last week, we had the opportunity to visit the newly opened Capital Area Food Bank (CAFB) distribution center in northeast Washington. The facility, built to assist more than 478,000 area residents struggling with hunger, will soon reap the benefits of solar power. The 241 kW system that we are installing for them is nearing completion and will produce 300 MWh annually for CAFB, enough to power nearly 18 average homes. The solar energy produced for the building will significantly lower its utility costs, freeing up money that can be used for services.

CAFB, founded in 1980, is the largest nonprofit hunger and nutrition education resource in the Washington Metropolitan area. The new facility will double the food bank’s capacity, allowing them to store more refrigerated and frozen items like meat, produce and dairy products, as well as provide educational and office space for the organization.

With a large building and refrigeration systems for fresh food that cause high electricity demand, their facility is an excellent example of how solar can work for nonprofits to stabilize energy costs and stretch limited budgets. We are truly inspired by the work the CAFB does, addressing an urgent need for so many, and were happy to work with them on this project.

Come visit the facility and check out the solar array at the dedication ceremony scheduled for October 11 – we hope to see you there!

American University and Catholic University announced recently plans to use Standard Solar to dramatically expand their photovoltaic (PV) systems in the coming months.  Both projects are upgrades of existing Standard Solar PV installations.

Back row, from left: Joseph Cochrane, Michael Doster, Lindsey Dickes, and Harry Warren, president of WGES. Front row, from left: Cory Estep, Monica Perez, John Lang, and CUA President John Garvey.

Catholic University of America (CUA) President John Garvey recently recognized six students for designing a solar powered picnic table equipped with outlets capable of charging laptops, cell phones, e-books and other electronic devices.  The solar charging station, which has been installed outside the Edward J. Pryzbyla University Center, was the winning design in a University sponsored contest.  Students on the design team received scholarships provided by Washington Gas Energy Services, Inc.

The winning design team is made up of a graduate student in mechanical engineering, Joseph Cochrane of Coopersburg, Pennsylvania and five students in the CUA Master of Architecture and Master of Science in Sustainable Design programs. Lindsey Dickes of Baltimore, Maryland; Michael Doster of Wayne, New Jersey.; Cory Estep of Bradenton, Florida; John Lang of Ellicott City, Maryland; and Monica Perez of McLean, Virginia all contributed to this award-winning solar project.

CUA President Garvey also announced today plans to add 440 solar panels to the more than 1,000 panels already installed on four campus buildings. The expanded system will total 414 kilowatts and generate more than 500,000 kilowatt hours of power each year. Standard Solar Inc. installed the original system and will install the new solar panels as well.

Two solar projects at American University, with more than 2,300 solar panels, create the largest use of solar technology in the District of Columbia

American University (AU) recently announced plans to install more than 2,150 solar photovoltaic panels on six of its buildings by July, making theirs one of the largest solar electricity systems in Washington, D.C. The 505 kilowatt system will be installed by Standard Solar Inc. of Rockville, Md. and owned and operated by Washington Gas Energy Services Inc.

Combined, AU will have more than 532 kilowatts of solar PV producing about 637 megawatt hours of electricity each year. Electricity from the solar photovoltaic panels will avoid more than 557 tons of carbon per year, the equivalent of eliminating greenhouse gas emissions from 57,500 gallons of gasoline annually, or nearly 1 million gallons over twenty years.

American University will officially kick-off these solar projects as the grand finale of its week-long Green Campus-Green Community Earth Week Celebration April 18 through Earth Day on April 22.