Construction Begins on Convention Center's Rooftop Solar Energy System

Will Be the Largest Solar Energy Array in Downtown Raleigh

The City of Raleigh recently announced that construction has commenced on a 500-kilowatt solar energy system at the Raleigh Convention Center. The rooftop system will be the City's largest urban solar energy system.

When completed in April of this year, 2080 photovoltaic panels covering approximately 60 percent of the convention center's roof will produce an estimated 725,000 kilowatt hours of electricity. That will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by about 500 tons annually. This is equivalent to the carbon dioxide emissions from about 100 passenger vehicles.

"We are thrilled to move forward on this solar energy system," said Mayor Nancy McFarlane. "Making our fantastic Convention Center even more sustainable is a very significant achievement."

FLS Energy and PowerWorks will finance, engineer, build, own and operate the solar system. Progress Energy will buy the electricity generated by the array through its SunSense Commercial Solar PV program and use it to serve its customers. PowerWorks and FLS Energy are leasing the Convention Center rooftop space from the City to operate the solar array.

The Raleigh Convention Center's solar energy system joins the City of Raleigh's 10 other solar energy systems. The City's portfolio presently has the capacity of more than 2.15 megawatts.

Raleigh is committed to sustainability and becoming a 21st century city of innovation. Through Sustainable Raleigh and the City's Office of Sustainability, the City has created programs addressing many areas of environmental and social responsibility, including energy efficiency, reduction in fuel usage, introduction of electric vehicle infrastructure and training programs for businesses and individuals in the green building industry.

The Raleigh Convention Center achieved a silver certification in the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system by the U.S. Green Building Council. It is one of only seven convention centers in the country to have achieved any level of certification in the LEED rating system. The City of Raleigh was named the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's 2011 Siemens Sustainable Community Award for mid-size communities. It also was listed among the top 25 "most electric vehicle-ready" cities in the U.S. The city was recently recognized internationally as a Smart Grid hub. In 2009, Raleigh was selected to be one of three American cities for Project Get Ready, a program that is preparing cities for the introduction of electric vehicles.