Green Lantern Solar Wins 2023 Solar Builder Community Solar Project of the Year Award for Innovative Brownfield Project Former U.S. Air Force Station site overcame substantial environmental challenges
WATERBURY, VT
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December 06, 2023 08:48 AM Eastern Standard Time
Green Lantern Solar, a leading renewable energy development and finance company focusing on commercial solar and energy storage systems, is the recipient of the 2023 Community Solar Project of the Year Award from Solar Builder. This accolade celebrates Green Lantern Solar’s outstanding achievement in completing a ground-mount net-metered community solar project situated on a challenging brownfield site at a former U.S. Air Force Station in St. Albans, Vt.
Solar Builder is an industry-leading media outlet that focuses on the installation/construction of solar PV systems, covering the latest PV technology (modules, mounting, inverters, storage, BOS) and equipping installers/contractors with tips and tools to make informed purchasing decisions. Solar Builder’s Project of the Year Awards is a celebration of the solar industry’s achievements and dedication. The awards recognize the hard work of construction teams, the creativity of engineers, the leadership of developers and the commitment of local businesses, government agencies and nonprofits.
Green Lantern Solar’s award-winning project, a 500 kW system featuring 1,700 ground-mounted panels, generates 892,000 kWh of clean energy annually, making a significant contribution to the region’s sustainable energy goals.
“We are deeply honored to receive the 2023 Solar Builder Community Solar Project of the Year Award for our brownfield project on a former U.S. Air Force Station in Vt.,” said Scott Buckley, president of Green Lantern Solar. “This recognition underscores our unwavering commitment to advancing renewable energy solutions, even in the face of formidable site challenges. Our success is a testament to the dedication of our team and the resilience of our partners and community. We are proud to contribute to Vermont's sustainable future and look forward to continuing our mission of delivering clean energy solutions for a better tomorrow.”
Originally scheduled to commence construction in March 2021, the project encountered various challenges, including commissioning delays. Despite these setbacks, Green Lantern Solar rallied its team and local contractors to persevere through a harsh Vermont winter, ensuring the project’s completion within the new timeline.
The development of the project was complicated by the presence of contaminants on the brownfield site, necessitating the implementation of a Department of Environmental Conservation-approved soil management strategy. Vegetative management was conducted by hand using chainsaws to prevent any exposure to potentially contaminated soils in sensitive areas. Additionally, the project site, located atop a hill overlooking the city of St. Albans, consisted predominantly of solid rock, requiring drilling through rock for many of the racking posts and fence components. Portions of the site were also ballasted to safeguard the contaminated areas.
Despite these formidable challenges, the project successfully met its March commissioning date, providing clean energy savings to the local community, including area farms benefiting from net metering credits. Furthermore, the project plays a pivotal role in helping Vermont achieve its Renewable Energy Standard target of 75 percent renewable energy by 2032. The system’s environmental impact is substantial, offsetting 632 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions, equivalent to the reduction of 708,099 pounds of coal burned or the energy consumption of 79 homes for one year.
“We extend our sincere appreciation to all of our esteemed partners, stakeholders and the dedicated local community for their steadfast support in transforming this award-winning project into a remarkable reality,” added Buckley. “We also congratulate all the nominees and honorees who have distinguished themselves in these prestigious awards.”
The following organizations’ unwavering dedication and exceptional efforts were instrumental in the success of this award-winning project: APA Solar; Downs Rachlin Martin; E&S Electric Company; Green Mountain Power; Homestead Fence Company; Jeff Adams Excavating; Krebs & Lansing Consulting Engineers; Megawatt Group; Solar on Earth; Solar Power Engineering; Stone Environmental; Vermont Economic Development Authority and the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation.
About Green Lantern Solar
Green Lantern Solar is a vertically integrated regional renewable energy development company with a particular emphasis on turn-key commercial solar solutions for municipal, education, healthcare and government entities. Green Lantern works with landowners to revitalize and re-develop low-value sites such as brownfields, landfills, quarries/pits/extraction sites and other challenging real estate. The company provides a full suite of services: development, financing, construction and operations, maintenance and asset management. For more information, visit www.greenlanternsolar.com on LinkedIn and @GrnLntrnSolar on X (Twitter).
Contact Details
Wilkinson + Associates
Leah Wilkinson
+1 703-907-0010
Company Website
