Evergreen Solar Helps Power Boston Sand & Gravel

Evergreen Solar, Inc., a manufacturer of String Ribbon solar power products with its proprietary, low-cost silicon wafer manufacturing technology, announced that a new 110 kilowatt solar energy power plant using its solar panels is now operational at Boston Sand & Gravel in Evergreen’s home state of Massachusetts. The solar installation will supply 75 percent of the overall energy needed to power the company’s maintenance facility in Charlestown, MA.

The installation, which is highly visible from both Interstate 93 and the local public transit system, contains more than 500 Evergreen Solar panels and occupies an area of one-half acre. It will generate enough energy each year to power approximately 25 average-sized homes.

By generating renewable energy, the facility will offset carbon dioxide emissions equivalent to removing 40 cars from the road annually. Boston Sand & Gravel expects the savings in annual energy costs to pay for this project within five-and-a-half years.

“This is not only a significant solar installation for Boston Sand & Gravel, it’s a milestone for the City of Boston as it is the first 100kw plus project to be installed under the Commonwealth Solar and Solar Boston initiatives of both Governor Patrick and Mayor Menino,” said Terry Bailey, Evergreen Solar’s senior vice president of sales and marketing. “Boston Sand & Gravel’s choice to use Evergreen Solar’s panels will not only show immediate results in performance as our panels deliver more electricity (kilowatt hours per kilowatts installed) throughout the day than any crystalline silicon panel, but it will also help the company accomplish its carbon goals since our panels have both the smallest carbon footprint and the quickest energy payback of any silicon based solar panel in the business.”

The project uses a Solectria Renewable Inverter and custom engineered mounting system and was designed and installed by Nexamp, Inc.

“Boston Sand & Gravel is excited and pleased to complete our solar installation,” Dean Boylan, president of Boston Sand & Gravel, said. “It is a cornerstone of our Green Plan through which we will support our customers with materials for green construction while reducing our energy consumption in the production of those materials.”