Nov 2 2015
Owens Corning and Constellation, a subsidiary of Exelon Corporation, today celebrated the completion of a 2.4-megawatt (DC) solar generation project at Owens Corning’s headquarters in Toledo.
Constellation's 2.4-megawatt solar generation project, pictured during construction, at Owens Corning's headquarters in Toledo. Located above 935 parking canopy spaces, the solar installation is currently one of the largest of its kind in the Midwest and supports Owens Corning's newly expanded sustainability and renewable energy goals. (Photo: Business Wire)
Located above 935 parking canopy spaces, the solar installation is currently one of the largest of its kind in the Midwest and supports Owens Corning’s newly expanded goals aimed at reducing its environmental footprint.
Having met its 2020 sustainability goal for greenhouse gas emissions, Owens Corning has increased its greenhouse gas intensity reduction target from 20 percent to 50 percent of its 2010 baseline.
“In our continuous quest to improve the sustainability of our company, we relentlessly seek partners who will step up and help us redefine what is possible,” said Owens Corning Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer Frank O'Brien-Bernini. “Once again, Constellation has delivered; helping us to imagine and then build a large-scale solar photovoltaic system to deliver significant renewable energy to our facility and, at the same time, become an iconic structure for Owens Corning and the downtown Toledo streetscape.”
Constellation financed, built, owns and maintains the solar power system. Electricity generated by the system is purchased by Owens Corning under a 20-year power purchase agreement with Constellation. Owens Corning retains all environmental attributes, including Class I SRECs, for the system.
“As a competitive energy company, our role is to give customers, like Owens Corning, greater flexibility in managing their energy use and costs,” said Gary Fromer, senior vice president of distributed energy at Constellation. “Two years ago, we helped Owens Corning celebrate the completion of a 2.7-megawatt solar project at its facility in Feura Bush, New York. We are pleased to continue to invest with Owens Corning in our ongoing mutual commitment toward renewable energy and sustainable business operations.”
Employees and visitors to Owens Corning’s headquarters can view energy output data from the system in real-time via a kiosk located in the lobby. Additionally, the parking canopy solar installation is equipped with two electric vehicle charging stations, which can charge up to four vehicles at a time. ChargePoint, a Constellation Technology Ventures portfolio company, supplied the stations.
The solar power system is comprised of approximately 8,000 photovoltaic panels. The system is expected to generate 3 million kilowatt-hours of electricity per year (based on first year production). Generating the same amount of electricity using nonrenewable sources would result in the release of approximately 2,069 metric tons of carbon dioxide, or the equivalent emissions from 436 passenger vehicles annually, according to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency data for the region.
Constellation currently owns and operates more than 300 megawatts of distributed energy projects that have been completed or are under construction for commercial and government customers throughout the United States. Constellation offers distributed energy solutions, including solar, cogeneration, backup generation, fuel cells, and battery storage, that may require no upfront capital from customers and may provide fixed power costs that are less than projected market rates.