Sterling Planet announces completion of one of Georgia’s largest solar generating projects

(3BL Media / theCSRfeed) Valdosta, GA - May 12, 2011 - Sterling Planet, the leading national retail provider of renewable energy and other clean-energy assets, today announced at a commissioning ceremony the completion of a 200 kWAC output solar generating project in Valdosta. One of the largest solar arrays in the state of Georgia, the Wiregrass Solar, LLC project began commercial operation on April 6 and is now generating annualized output of approximately 350,000 kilowatt-hours. This is enough clean, emission-free electricity to power 350 Georgia homes using the average amount of 1,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity monthly.

Developed by Sterling Planet, Wiregrass Solar supplies green power for the Georgia Power Green Energy program, an option for the utility’s customers who voluntarily choose to support renewable power and help generate more of it in Georgia.   Wiregrass Solar is located on two acres owned by the city of Valdosta and leased to the Valdosta-Lowndes County Industrial Authority. The site is adjacent to the Mud Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant and is also the future location of Wiregrass Biomass, LLC, a Sterling Planet project now in development that would reclaim the wastewater treatment plant’s processed water for cooling and would also use clean wood waste and the plant’s industrial sludge as fuel, significantly reducing the amount of waste going into landfills.   “Wiregrass Solar is the first of several projects we’re managing for the benefit of the people, environment and economy of Georgia,” said Therrell “Sonny” Murphy, Jr., chairman of the board for Sterling Planet. “We’re hoping to develop a second phase, which would add 1 megawatt (1,000 kW) of capacity to the existing solar array and will most likely make this solar project the largest in Georgia when complete.  We estimate that Wiregrass Solar ultimately will have six times its current capacity and will generate enough electricity to power 2,100 homes.”   Hannah Solar, a full-service solar integrator based in Atlanta, designed and constructed the first phase of Wiregrass Solar at a cost of $1.2 million, with $500,000 of the total coming from a Georgia Environmental Facilities Authority grant. While these grants are no longer available, state legislators earlier this year approved a bill that extends the Georgia renewable energy tax credit through 2014 and increases the total statewide credit amount from $2.5 million to $5 million in each of the years 2012-2014.   “Georgia is now poised to be a national leader in the adoption of solar energy,” said Peter Marte, president of Hannah Solar, the Southeast’s fastest growing solar integrator, with 1.6 megawatts of new solar generating capacity installed statewide over the past year. “We’re just out of the starting block. With extension of the tax credit for solar development and the state’s vast untapped solar potential, Georgia is well-positioned for what promises to be an exciting decade in the expansion of solar production and all the benefits that will result – zero-emissions electricity production, new jobs and increased tax revenues.”   Hosted by the Valdosta-Lowndes County Industrial Authority, the May 12 commissioning featured a keynote address by State Senator Tim Golden and a ribbon-cutting ceremony to officially recognize the commercial startup of Wiregrass Solar, LLC. Additional speakers included representatives of the various participants in this solar development: Roy Copeland of the Valdosta-Lowndes County Industrial Authority Board of Directors; Crawford Powell, Lowndes County Commissioner, District 3; John J. Fretti, Mayor, City of Valdosta; Therrell “Sonny” Murphy, Jr., Chairman of the Board, Sterling Planet; and Peter Marte, President and CEO of Hannah Solar, LLC.   STER13799