SunPower to start construction of solar power plant at US Army Post in Alabama

US-based company SunPower is expecting to start the construction of 10MW photovoltaic solar power plant project at Redstone Arsenal US Army post in Alabama.

Upon completion, the solar project will have the capacity to generate 18,000MW hours per annum.

The energy generated by the solar plant will be delivered to the US army by the company under power purchase agreement.

Army (Energy and Sustainability) deputy assistant secretary Richard Kidd said: "This represents a continuation of the Army’s deployment of renewable energy at installations across the country. It is symbolic of the changing dynamics of energy produced in the United States, especially in the Southeast.

"The project substantially increases the amount of installed solar power in Alabama at no additional cost to consumers.

"It is also testament to what the Army can accomplish by working with industry stakeholders such as SunPower, local officials, and other partners such as the U.S Army Corps of Engineers and Redstone Arsenal."

As per the agreement, US Army will be purchasing 100% of power generated by the solar plant, thereby avoiding the cost incurred for construction, operation, and maintenance of solar plant.

SunPower business units’ president Howard Wenger said: "Solar is cost-competitive with traditional energy sources today, and is helping the U.S. military reduce operational costs.

"We commend Redstone Arsenal for managing its significant energy demand by relying on abundant, renewable solar power. The high performance SunPower technology we are installing for the agency will maximize energy production over the long term."

The US Army has set a goal to derive 25% of total energy consumed from renewable sources as well as it has plans to deploy 1GW of renewable energy on Army installations by 2025.