Baltimore County recently completed a new 800 kWh solar facility, the largest the county has developed so far.
In celebration of Earth Month, Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski recently celebrated the County’s largest-ever solar energy project, located on the rooftop at the Randallstown Community Center.
The new cost-effective renewable energy source will substantially lower the cost of electricity at the facility – as well as its environmental impact – and is Olszewski’s latest effort to advance sustainability within County government.
According to the press release:
“Climate change poses one of the most significant threats to our long-term health and prosperity, and we have a responsibility to take action today so the next generation inherits a more sustainable future,” Olszewski said. “We are thankful for this partnership with TotalEnergies, which demonstrates that we can invest in innovative solutions that save money and preserve the environment so that future generations can enjoy it for years to come.”
This system will generate approximately 800,000 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of clean energy in the first year of the contract. According to the EPA’s Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Equivalencies Calculator, the expected solar generation will offset over 558 metric tons of carbon dioxide, which is equivalent to emissions from:
- 133 gasoline-powered passenger vehicles driven for one year
- 62,818 gallons of gasoline consumed
- 110 homes’ electricity use for one year
- 1,293 barrels of oil consumed
- 615,252 pounds of coal burned
The environmental attributes – or renewable energy certificates – are owned by Baltimore County, which has exclusive rights to being powered with sustainable electricity, benefitting the local community and environment through greenhouse gas emissions avoidance. The solar array’s renewable power will feed into the Community Center’s electric room, directly offsetting its usage. Any excess energy generated will be credited against any remaining usage on the Center’s monthly utility bill.
Later this year, Baltimore County and TotalEnergies are expected to break ground on its second large-scale solar project for a 6.8-megawatt solar system at the closed Parkton Landfill in northern Baltimore County.
