Baltimore Mayor-elect Catherine Pugh speaks at Christ Church Harbor Apartments.
Earlier this month, Sol Systems hosted an event to celebrate solar energy at the Christ Church Harbor Apartments, home to a 196kW rooftop system financed by Sol Systems with our partners RER Energy Group and WGL. Christ Church is a low-to-moderate income senior living facility located on the Baltimore Harbor. Baltimore Mayor-Elect Catherine Pugh, a longtime solar champion, was the keynote speaker. Mayor-Elect Pugh spoke on the benefits of solar energy for the community, the state, and thanked the residents for their support throughout the installation process.
“[Christ Church’s] 196kW solar array has produced enough solar to offset carbon dioxide emissions from over 12,000 gallons of gas or 120,000 pounds of coal,” said George Ashton, President of Sol Systems and Chair of the Maryland Clean Energy Center, who spoke at the event. “These numbers are telling, but they don’t tell the other story; the story of an energy independent Baltimore creating its own clean, green, solar energy from its own rooftops.”
It has been a challenging year for the Maryland solar industry. Solar renewable energy credit (SREC) pricing – an important driver for solar growth and economic development in the state – dove as the market experienced oversupply. In May, Governor Hogan vetoed legislation that would have expanded the state’s foundational solar energy policy, the renewable portfolio standard. This could impact the viability of the state’s pilot program for community solar.
“Community solar is a way that renters, people with shaded roofs, and low income Maryland residents can take advantage of the benefits of solar without installing it on their roofs,” said Ashton, “which is critical to a place like Baltimore.”
Many are hopeful that a veto override will take place in early 2017. Mayor-Elect Pugh spoke on this during her keynote address, ensuring the group that the override would move forward.
Sol Systems is grateful for the residents and team at Christ Church for their leadership on sustainability in the city of Baltimore, and for hosting us last week at their facility.
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Sol Systems, a national solar finance and development firm, delivers sophisticated, customized services for institutional, corporate, and municipal customers. Sol is employee-owned, and has been profitable since inception in 2008. Sol is backed by Sempra Energy, a $25+ billion energy company.
Over the last eight years, Sol Systems has delivered more than 500 MW of solar projects for Fortune 100 companies, municipalities, universities, churches, and small businesses. Sol now manages over $650 million in solar energy assets for utilities, banks, and Fortune 500 companies.
Inc. 5000 recognized Sol Systems in its annual list of the nation’s fastest-growing private companies for four consecutive years. For more information, please visit www.solsystems.com.