Orlando Mayor Dyer Works-Along with OUC and ESA Renewables to Install Solar Panels on City Facility

Orlando, FL – January 24, 2013 – Yesterday, Orlando Mayor Dyer worked along with OUC Vice President of Customer& Sustainable Services Byron Knibbs and ESA Renewables to install solar panels on the roof of the City’s Fleet Management Division Building. The solar project is part of Green Works Orlando, the City’s sustainability initiative to engage everyone who lives, works and visits Central Florida in the effort to “go green.” “Through Green Works Orlando, the City is working to ensure Orlando remains one of the most environmentally-conscious cities in our country,”said Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer. “A key part of our plan is investing in the next generation of clean, green energy, like solar, which will not only help us continue to prevent pollution, but also create new high-tech, high-wage jobs for our community and further diversify our economy.”

Mayor Dyer installs solar panel.
Photos courtesy of The City of Orlando.

At the event, Mayor Dyer and Knibbs joined the ESA Renewables construction team to help mount the three-foot by six-foot solar panels to the roof of the City facility. When complete in February, a total of 1,392 solar panels will be installed in the three array system, which covers about 50,000 square feet.

“OUC is proud to help power Orlando’s designation as a Solar America City through projects like this,” Knibbs said. “In fact, later this year we will begin work on Central Florida’s first community solar farm at our Gardenia facility. The community solar farm will allow customers to purchase solar power without the expense and hassle of installing it at their home or business.”

ESA Renewables Project Manager Kirk Kieffer,
Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer,
OUC Vice President of Customer &
Sustainable Services Byron Knibbs
and City of Orlando Energy Manager Nate Boyd.

The 417 kilowatt solar array is estimated to save the City $800,000 in energy costs over its 25-year life. In total, the project will generate enough energy to power about 43 average Orlando homes and offset emissions equivalent to planting 2,400 trees and taking 2,375 vehicles off the road per year.

“We are proud to be a part of the City’s efforts to move towards sustainable energy,” said Jeffrey Burkett, President of ESA Renewables. “Not only does this project contribute to the health of our environment, it also has a positive effect on our economy through the creation of 20 green jobs.”

Watch the Mayor's interview on YouTube.  
 
ABOUT GREEN WORKS ORLANDO: Mayor Dyer launched Green Works Orlando in 2007, and since then the City of Orlando has led by example to promote environmental stewardship, educate people about “going green” and encourage others to incorporate a concern for the environment into the everyday workings of government and private business. Some of the initial successes under Green Works Orlando include:

• Achieved more than $1 million in annual energy savings
• Expanded the Downtown LYMMO bus circulator and began SunRail construction.
• Completed eight LEED-certified municipal buildings, including the first newly constructed LEED-certified NBA arena in the country
• Performed energy efficiency retrofits to 1,200 houses
• Planted 10,000 trees and established four community gardens
• Adopted the 2012 Municipal Operations Sustainability Plan

To engage more residents in the City’s sustainability efforts, Orlando has launched GreenWorksOrlando.com. This interactive forum allows Orlando residents to provide feedback and further the ideas of other residents as to how to continue to make Orlando a more sustainable and livable community. These suggestions will be used as the foundation for Orlando’s future sustainability plans.  

ABOUT OUC:
Established in 1923 by a special act of the Florida Legislature, OUC—The Reliable One is the second largest municipal utility in Florida. OUC provides electric and water services to nearly 228,000 customers in Orlando, St. Cloud and parts of unincorporated Orange and Osceola counties. Visit www.ouc.com to learn more about our commitment to reliability, affordability and sustainability.  

ABOUT ESA RENEWABLES:
Located in Lake Mary, FL, ESA Renewables has positioned itself as a leader in the industry providing turnkey solar PV systems globally. ESA owns and operates a diverse portfolio of more than 500 solar PV power generating facilities located in the United States, Puerto Rico, Spain and Italy. ESA’s scope of services includes financing, engineering, construction, testing, monitoring and operation and maintenance. With headquarters in Castellon Spain, ESA has additional offices in Florida, North Carolina, Puerto Rico, Chile, and Italy. For more information about ESA Renewables, LLC, please visit http://www.esarenewables.com or call 407-268-6455.