Binghamton, NY received a new 50 kilowatt photovoltaic system at their water treatment plant. The solar panel array is expected to supply more than 10 percent of the city water treatment plants total demand.
This is the city’s first on-site renewable energy generator. The system is composed of 18 arrays with a total of 204 photovoltaic modules. Earthkind Solar of Kingston NY built and installed the panels.
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A federal Recovery Act grant from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority paid $300,000 plus the city’s taxpayers paid $56,000 for the system. It is estimated to save the taxpayers $576,000 over the next 25 years. The array will not only cut the expenses for the city but also shrink the city’s carbon footprint by 23 tons per year.
The water treatment process removes pollutants and helps keep our waterways clean. The treated water is then released into a local river or the ocean.
Many wastewater treatment plants across the country are already online with a solar panel array, or are making plans to install their own photovoltaic systems. Cities in Colorado, California, Texas and West Virginia to name a few.
