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| Largest commercial solar array in Southern Colorado  Vibrant Solar is about to install the largest commercial solar array in Southern Colorado, a 100 Kilowatt system for Andrews Foodservice Systems on Industrial Boulevard in Pueblo West. 500 solar panels arrive over the next two weeks. The project is expected to be complete by Thanksgiving. Along with energy controllers this system will offset 23% of Andrews' huge electricity demand, reducing pollution by 1.2 million pounds of carbon dioxide emissions per year. Owners George Andrews III, Jacque Ponx and Debbie Hinkle are proud to get this massive solar array. George said "We are very excited to be able to reduce our electricity bills by a substantial amount. This also marks a great attempt for us to support the 'Go Green' initiative and we will be looking for additional ways to expand this. Overall, we feel this is a win in many ways; for us, the community and the environment." Vibrant Solar is based in Denver and is all Colorado-owned. They are dedicated to becoming a local Pueblo solar company, by hiring local people. Vibrant has contracted Abel Engineering Professionals for structural engineering and two local firms are in line for electrical work. Canyon National Bank provided financing. Vibrant is hiring most of it Pueblo staff from the local area. Denver managers are rotating through the Pueblo office while local staff is being trained. Dr. Juan Trujillo, who introduced Vibrant to Andrews, commented "I am aiding Vibrant Solar for the Pueblo jobs. The Vibrant staff have a lot of experience and knowledge. Their design and financial projection tools are superior. They are an excellent addition to our community." Vibrant was first brought to town by Dr. Trujillo and his partner, Southern Colorado real estate broker Thorne Davis. They are cooperating to develop the Colorado Energy Park southeast of town. The Colorado Energy Park vision includes new generation safe nuclear power plant with renewable energy arrays with the goal of replacing coal fired power plants for baseload electricity in southern Colorado. AEHI and Vibrant are both involved, and the talk is a solar array between 20 megawatts and a staggering 2,000 megawatts of solar. That would make this by far the largest solar array in the world, but even the 20 megawatt size would be the largest in Colorado and one of the largest in the USA. Mr. Davis has been the primary catalyst, bringing together the partners in renewable and nuclear energy, to move the project forward. Vibrant's sister company Helios Solar LLC has licensed a high efficiency concentrated solar photovoltaic product from Australia with the plan to build an assembly plant along the Front Range. write your comments about the article :: © 2009 Construction News :: home page |