Army Awards Ameresco Contract to Build Solar Facility at Maryland Base

Ameresco, an energy efficiency and renewable energy company, announced the Defense Logistics Agency Energy, in coordination with the U.S. Army Office of Energy Initiatives and the U.S. Army Garrison Fort Detrick, awarded a contract to Ameresco for a 18.6 megawatt direct currentrenewable energy solar facility to be located at the Fort Detrick Army installation in Frederick, Maryland.

“Ameresco is very proud to be a renewable energy partner to the U.S. Army and Fort Detrick through this long-term partnership for solar energy,” said George P. Sakellaris, President and Chief Executive Officer, Ameresco, in a press release. “This 18.6 megawatt solar project, once constructed, will be one of the single-largest solar facilities in the mid-Atlantic region and one of the largest in Maryland.”

Under the contract, Ameresco will build, own, operate and maintain the large-scale solar facility, and Fort Detrick will purchase the renewable electricity from Ameresco through a 25-year Power Purchase Agreement.

Fort Detrick will have the economic benefit of purchasing the renewable electricity at or below current and projected utility rates. All electricity from the solar facility will be consumed by Fort Detrick.

Ameresco will begin construction on the project this summer and the solar facility is planned to be operational by March 2016.

More than 60,000 solar panels will be installed throughout 67 acres of Area B at Fort Detrick.

Once operational, the facility is designed to serve 12 percent of Fort Detrick’s total annual electric load requirements and is expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 19,000 metric tons annually.

“Ameresco applauds the Army Office of Energy Initiatives and Defense Logistics Agency Energy for their outstanding leadership in supporting this large-scale renewable energy project,” said Nicole A. Bulgarino, Vice President and General Manager, Federal Solutions, Ameresco, in a statement. “We are proud to support the Army’s goal of deploying one gigawatt of renewable energy by 2025 through this partnership at Fort Detrick.”

Fort Detrick is a pilot net-zero installation with a goal of being net-zero energy by 2020.

The new Ameresco solar facility is designed to be micro-grid compatible and will support the base in meeting its energy and sustainability goals.

Founded in 2000, Ameresco, Inc. is an independent provider of comprehensive services, energy efficiency, infrastructure upgrades, asset sustainability and renewable energy solutions for businesses and organizations throughout North America and Europe.

With its corporate headquarters in Framingham, Ameresco has more than 1,000 employees providing local expertise in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.