The city of Bryan, Ohio, wants to get some of its power from the sun and has contracted with Rudolph/Libbe Inc., Walbridge, Ohio, to develop, design and build a $7.42 million, 2MW solar system. The project will be among the first solar energy systems to supply power to an Ohio municipality, according to a press release announcing the project. Key Government Finance will lease the solar array to the city of Bryan, which will have the option to extend the lease or purchase the system after the initial 10-year lease term expires.
The project will use primarily Ohio materials, contractors and labor: Rudolph/Libbe Inc. will maintain the system after installation; First Solar, Perrysburg, Ohio, will supply the 24,000 solar modules; Nextronex, Toledo, Ohio, will manufacture the inverters; and PI, Inc. Ridgeville Corners, Ohio, will provide the racks for the modules. The solar array will be complete next month and will produce 2.6 megawatt-hours per year for the Bryan Municipal electrical infrastructure, representing one percent of the power required by the city and significantly reducing the peak load demand for the city. The array, which will use thin-firm cadmium/telluride modules, will be built on 12 acres owned by the city. Energy produced will be sufficient to power approximately 260 average homes in the city of Bryan, which has a population of approximately 8,300.