McCormick, Constellation Energy Join Forces To Develop New Solar Photovoltaic Power System
McCormick & Company (McCormick) and Constellation Energy have entered into an agreement to develop a new 1.8-megawatt (DC) solar photovoltaic power system at the McCormick Distribution Center in Belcamp, Maryland. This will be the single rooftop solar installation in Maryland, and is the second solar installation developed for McCormick by the energy company.
In late 2008, the companies brought a nearly 1-megawatt solar installation online at McCormick’s Spice Mill in Hunt Valley, Md. Construction of this latest installation has been scheduled to begin in late June with estimated completion by the close of 2010.
Constellation Energy will finance the project, including design and construction of the installation, and then own and maintain the solar power system for a period of 20 years. McCormick purchases energy produced by the solar installations hosted at its facilities.
The McCormick Distribution Center solar project is currently designed to utilize 8,372 crystalline photovoltaic solar panels on the facility’s 363,000 square foot rooftop. The system is expected annually to generate power equivalent to the amount of electricity used by 195 homes in a year.
Generating the same amount of electricity using non-renewable sources would result in the release of more than 1,600 metric tons of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, and the equivalent of the emissions from more than 300 passenger vehicles annually. The project will also create a number of new green jobs, requiring approximately 17,000 man-hours during construction.
Constellation Energy currently has approximately 25 megawatts of on-site solar projects completed or under development throughout the US and has recently set aside $90m to fund the development of similar solar installations in 2010. Qualifying projects of 500 kilowatts generally require at least 100,000 square feet of roof space or two acres of open ground.

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