This announcement ends the pervasive speculation about the status of the Indianapolis Airport solar farm approved nearly six months ago by the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission (IURC) using the IPL Rate REP feed-in tariff (FIT). What will be the role of Johnson Melloh Solutions (JMS) going forward on this project?
What are your thoughts on the impact of this decision on the solar PV industry in Indianapolis, Indiana and the Midwest?
updated: 3/15/2013 8:11:36 AM
Airport to Break Ground on Massive Solar Farm
InsideINdianaBusiness.com Report
A groundbreaking ceremony is set Friday for what is being described as the largest airport solar farm in North America. The 75-acre project at Indianapolis International Airport is a public-private partnership that has an estimated cost of around $40 million. During an interview last month on Inside INdiana Business Television, Johnson Melloh Solutions Vice President Kurt Schneider joined Airport Authority Director of Properties Eric Anderson, who said the farm could boost the city's image.
See this http://www.insideindianabusiness.com/newsitem.asp?ID=58429
The farm could eventually generate more than 15 million kilowatt hours of electric energy, which would power 1,200 homes per year.
March 15, 2013
News Release
INDIANAPOLIS – March 15, 2013 – Today representatives from business, government and renewable energy gather at Indianapolis International Airport (IND) for the official groundbreaking of the largest airport solar farm in North America. Partners in this 75-acre, $35 - $40 million alternative energy project include IND, the City of Indianapolis, General Energy Solutions Inc., Telamon Corporation, Johnson Melloh Solutions, Indianapolis Power & Light Company and Cenergy Power.
“Today’s groundbreaking marks the latest step by the City of Indianapolis to encourage the development and use of renewable energy sources,” said Mayor Greg Ballard. “Through our Office of Sustainability and my initiative to transition the city’s entire vehicle fleet to post-oil fuel by 2025, Indianapolis is quickly becoming a leader in the Midwest in embracing new energy technologies.”
“As the economy of Indiana is continuing to expand and make a solid effort toward strong solar policy, we are pleased to be able to play a role in expanding the growth of the solar industry in the state of Indiana”, said David Su, CEO of General Energy Solutions Inc., owner of this airport solar project.
“Johnson Melloh Solutions is excited by today’s official groundbreaking as it is the capstone to two years of hard work and perseverance developing the project,” said Nick Melloh, company president and co-founder. “It is our hope that this project will set the stage for future solar development in the city and around central Indiana.”
“Telamon is proud to play a pivotal role in the largest planned airport-based solar farm in North America,” said Albert Chen, CEO of Telamon Corporation. “With today’s groundbreaking, the IND solar farm showcases Indianapolis as both a cutting-edge leader in the energy space and a new engine for job creation and economic growth.”
“Hosting the largest airport-based solar farm in the country supports both environmental and economic sustainability at the Indianapolis International Airport,” said Robert Duncan, executive director of the Indianapolis Airport Authority. “Through this public-private partnership, we are able to create a use for otherwise undevelopable land, benefit from a new source of non-airline revenue, increase the tax revenues we generates for local municipalities, and add to the many ways we incorporate sustainability into airport operations.”
“Solar generation is an important part of IPL’s commitment to developing alternative resources,” said Ken Zagzebski IPL’s President and CEO. “We have increased our diverse resources portfolio ranking 8th in the U.S. in available wind-capacity on a per customer basis, and we look forward to this possible significant increase in solar generation.”
The general contractor and construction management company selected for the IND Solar Farm installation will be Cenergy Power. Cenergy Power is a value-added solar EPC company comprised of seasoned power system professionals and financial experts focused on delivering unmatched value to utility, commercial, and agricultural end-users interested in solar photovoltaic solutions.
Sponsors of the groundbreaking event are Cenergy Power and Barnes & Thornburg, LLC.
When the IND Solar Farm is completed real-time web-based software will be available on their Website so school children, academics and the general public can learn more about renewable energy.
As travelers arrive and depart the LEED® certified IND campus during the next few months they will see holes being dug, concrete poured and solar arrays mounted for more than 41,000 solar panels, with the capacity to annually generate more than 15 million kilowatt hours of electric energy.
Timeline of IND Solar Farm construction, deployment and commissioning:
Project announcement - September 2011
Pre-development activities - October 2011 - August 2012
Permitting and approvals - September 2012 – February 2013
Official groundbreaking – March 15, 2013
Construction - March 2013 – late fall 2013
Commissioning – late fall 2013
ABOUT IND SOLAR FARM
The IND Solar Farm is the largest planned airport solar farm in North America. Construction is set to begin in March 2013 at the entrance to the Indianapolis International Airport (IND). The IND Solar Farm is a significant public-private partnership that includes the Indianapolis Airport Authority (IAA), the City of Indianapolis, and privately held businesses General Energy Solutions Inc. (GES), Telamon Corporation, Johnson Melloh Solutions and the Indianapolis Power & Light Company. Upon its completion, this $35-$40 million dollar alternative energy project will cover 75 acres of land, comprise more than 41,000 solar panels, and will have the capacity to produce enough renewable energy to prevent approximately 10,700 tons of carbon dioxide from being released into the environment each year. For more information on IND Solar Farm, visit the farm’s website at indsolarfarm.com and the IND Solar Farm Facebook page.
ABOUT GENERAL ENERGY SOLUTIONS INC. (GES)
As the Earth has limited energy resources, countries around the world aim for environmental protection and energy conservation. GES is committed to environmental protection and offering system solutions for clean, highly-efficient green energy. GES possesses strong technical and production management strength, specializing in the production of quality solar cell modules with a competitive advantage – value chain control of both upper and lower streams for high-quality products. GES offers end-to-end products and solutions. GES utilizes the existing technical advantage, cost advantage, and new product and process development capabilities in order to offer quality products to the energy market. GES is continuing to develop and invest in renewable energy system solutions for greener, cleaner energy and the environment. For more information, please visit GES’s website at www.gesyw.com.
ABOUT TELAMON CORPORATION
Telamon Corporation’s goal is to simplify business. Telamon specializes in solutions for telecommunications, business transactions, energy, assembly, and logistics for medical material. Based in Carmel, Indiana, Telamon operates in ten locations – eight domestic and two international. Telamon, the Greek word for “support”, is uniquely positioned as a minority-owned company. Telamon continuously exceeds customer expectations and standards and has been recognized globally through numerous awards and certifications. For more information, visit Telamon’s website at www.telamon.com.
ABOUT JOHNSON MELLOH SOLUTIONS
Formed in response to the growing need of an energy services company that can self-perform, Johnson Melloh Solutions (JMS) focuses on energy conservation services and general contracting for customer classes, ranging from residential renewable energy offerings to energy savings contracting for school systems to large-scale industrial energy plant management and service. JMS develops a holistic evaluation of their customers’ energy infrastructure and then has the wherewithal to implement the ideas. For more information, visit JMS’s website at www.johnsonmellohsolutions.com.
ABOUT THE INDIANAPOLIS AIRPORT AUTHORITY
The Indianapolis Airport Authority owns and operates Indiana’s largest airport system. In addition to Indianapolis International Airport, its facilities include the Downtown Heliport, Eagle Creek Airpark, Hendricks County Airport, Indianapolis Regional Airport, and Metropolitan Airport. IND has received several prestigious awards recognizing it as a leader within its class, including annual Airport Service Quality awards for performance excellence by Airports Council International. IND is the first airport in the U.S. to win LEED® certification for an entire terminal campus, and the airport has won recognition for excellent customer service, concessions programs, and art and architecture.
IND’s economic impact in Central Indiana is more than $4.5 billion annually, and about 10,000 people work at the airport each day. IND serves more than 7 million business and leisure travelers each year and averages 141 daily flights to 33 nonstop destinations. Home of the world's second-largest FedEx Express operation and the nation’s eighth-largest cargo facility, IND is committed to becoming the airport system of choice for both passenger and cargo service. For more information, visit IND’s Facebook page at Indianapolis International Airport and Twitter page at @INDairport.
ABOUT CENERGY POWER
Cenergy Power is a value-added solar EPC company comprised of seasoned power system professionals and financial experts focused on delivering unmatched value to utility, commercial, and agricultural end-users interested in solar photovoltaic solutions. To learn more about Cenergy, please contact: info@cenergypower.com or visit www.cenergypower.com.
ABOUT BRANDRENEW
Brandrenew, established in 2010 by Cris Dorman, has its corporate headquarters in Indianapolis. Brandrenew is an integrated branding and public relations firm carving out a niche in public relations, branding (rebranding) and special events. The firm was launched to help organizations and companies adhere to a unified brand, to reach their target audiences through various forms of media, and to stage and host turn key special events. For more information about the company, please visit www.brandrenew.net.
Sources: Telamon Corp., Johnson Melloh Solutions, Indianapolis Airport Authority