Distributed Generation, Solar, Sourcing Renewables  -  March 11, 2019

Florida A&M approves 75MW solar project

Florida A&M University approved a 25-year lease agreement that could add 74.9 MW of renewable power to the grid at the university's Brooksville Agricultural and Environmental Research Station.

FAMU will partner with Duke Energy Florida on the project. The facility is planned to be approximately 270,000 tracking solar panels and is estimated to provide electricity for approximately 23,000 average-sized homes once operational.

The solar facility is expected to occupy between 600 and 800 acres in Central Florida. 

"Equally important, it supports FAMU and their commitment to renewables, agriculture and sustainability," Tamara Waldmann, Duke Energy Florida director of distributed generation strategy, said in a statement. "Building solar power plants in support of our customers and communities is part of our ongoing work to diversify our company’s resources to offer dependable, emission-free, and smarter energy solutions that our customers value."

The project is part of Duke Energy's long-term plan to build or acquire 700 MW of solar energy in Florida by 2022.

Florida A&M expects the project to serve as a revenue source for the university through lease-payments and the creation of hands-on experiences for students researching and working with a fully-operational, utility-scale solar power plant connected to the grid.

"FAMU strives to be a good neighbor at all times, and, like residents of Brooksville and Hernando County, we are concerned about the sustainability of the planet. said Fred Gainous, leader of the FAMU Brooksville project.  "This initiative allows us to use the natural energy source of the sun to power homes, instead of using resources that can be depleted."

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