REC Solar, a solar power providing company, declared that the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has granted it two accords to design and erect turnkey type of solar panels over the carport and ground for VA hospitals located in Texas and California.
Solar installation at VA Southern Arizona Tucson, AZ. Credit: REC Solar
The accords signed for a total 6.6 MW also includes installation of an additional 4 MW capacity at the Medical Center located in West Los Angeles enabling the hospital with a 9 MW solar facility thus making it the largest solar installation for VA in the country.
VA is planning to complete the solar installations at five of its medical centers located in sunny places such as California and Texas by summer 2012. It performed the required feasibility studies at the locations before choosing them to invest for solar power projects. VA is aiming to generate 15% of its yearly power needs from renewable energy by 2013 and will utilize the proposed installations to fulfill its goal.
The West Los Angeles Medical Center, a division of Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System of VA will have most of the solar panels over its carports. The 4 MW installations comprise a total of 15 solar panel arrangements, which include 4 roof top systems and 11 systems over its carports. The carport installations while generating clean power also will provide the required shade to the parked cars.
The 2.6 MW installation planned for the Temple, Texas located Central Texas Veterans Health Care System will be complete with a 900 kW installation over five of its assorted rooftops and a 1.7 MW ground mounted over a reclaimed and covered landfill site owned by VA specified for such renewable energy installations.
The solar modules needed for the installations will be supplied by REC Solar and Kyocera Solar while the inverters associated with the installations will be provided by PV Powered and Advanced Energy.