Archdiocese of Baltimore Announces 5.4 MW Solar Generation Project

Constellation is working with the Archdiocese of Baltimore to construct a 5.4-megawatt (DC) aggregate solar generation project expected to meet approximately 20 percent of its electricity needs.

The solar power system will be located at Perryman Station in Harford County, Md.

“Pope Francis has invited the Church and all of us to take steps to responsibly care for our common home,” Archbishop William E. Lori said.  “This new solar power system will allow us not only to better manage our energy costs and devote more funding to the many important programs and ministries we have in place to support our community, but also to educate our parishioners about sustainable initiatives.”

The project expands Constellation’s role as the No. 1 solar energy producer in Maryland, with more than 35 megawatts of solar projects in the state and an additional 25 megawatts expected to be operational by the end of 2015.

The project required no upfront capital from the Archdiocese. Constellation will own and operate the solar power system. The Archdiocese will purchase the electricity generated by the solar panels from Constellation under a 20-year power purchase agreement.

“Constellation is committed to supporting renewable energy in Maryland, and we are pleased to help the Archdiocese better manage their energy costs through supporting this solar power project,” said Mark Huston, president of Constellation Retail. “This system will allow them to devote more funding to important community programs and share the importance of clean energy resources with their parishioners.”

The solar power system will be composed of approximately 17,700 photovoltaic panels and is expected to generate approximately 7.2 million kilowatt-hours of electricity in the first year. Generating the same amount of electricity using nonrenewable sources would result in the release of approximately 5,000 tons of carbon dioxide, or the equivalent emissions from 1,045 passenger vehicles annually, according to U.S. EPA data for the region.

Constellation owns and operates more than 250 megawatts of solar installations that have been completed or are under construction for commercial and government customers throughout the United States. 

By structuring its solar projects as power purchase agreements or solar services agreements, Constellation offers solar installations that may require no upfront capital from customers and may provide fixed power costs that are less than projected market rates. To learn more about our solutions for solar generation, contact us at sustainable-solutions@constellation.com or 1-877-427-2005.