Wednesday, February 2, 2022

The Tower Companies activates largest solar grid in Rockville


The largest solar energy grid in the City of Rockville is now active. Real estate development firm The Tower Companies flipped the switch on its half megawatt solar PV canopy system at The Tower Building at 1101 Wootton Parkway yesterday. It will provide the same annual carbon offset value as 600 acres of forest, a positive in a county where forest and tree canopy are being clearcut at an aggressive pace.

The new parking lot grid will also supply a full fifth of the Tower Building's energy needs each year. In addition to the Prospect Solar-installed canopy, four electric vehicle charging stations were added. By June 2022, Tower will be generating almost 2 million kWh of on-site solar energy across its entire real estate portfolio, using approximately 4,000 solar panels.

The Tower Building in Rockville

"This is a great, innovative project that shows how Rockville businesses are contributing to clean, local renewable energy generation and helping our community meet our greenhouse gas reduction goals," Rockville Mayor Bridget Donnell Newton said in a statement yesterday. "We are proud that our city is home to companies like Tower that share the values of our community and are taking proactive approaches to help us meet Rockville's climate action goals." She said the project aligns with the Mayor and Council's efforts on a Climate Action Plan for the city.

Tower Companies CEO Eric Posner on Tuesday touted the grid as not only good for the environment, but also a potential draw for climate-conscious tenants that other office building owners could emulate. "Tower is proud to continue our long-standing commitment to sustainability and contribute to local, state, and national climate action goals that will improve the lives of generations to come," Posner said. "We view this project as a smart investment that not only benefits the environment, but is also a real value-add for our office building tenants."

Photos courtesy The Tower Companies, Prospect Solar

1 comment: