The new Brightfield One 828-panel solar farm at Heritage Center in west Oak Ridge can generate enough electricity to power about 20 homes.
A solar array that began operating in west Oak Ridge in April can generate enough electricity to power about 20 homes, officials said during a ceremony Tuesday.
Developed by Restoration Services Inc., the $800,000 solar farm uses four rows of south-facing panels on 1.5 acres at the front side of Heritage Center, the former K-25 site.
“We wanted it right here at the entrance to make a statement about clean energy and the Department’s commitment,” said Rick Ferguson, RSI vice president, referring to the U.S. Department of Energy.
RSI owns the land and self-funded the 200-kilowatt farm, which is called the Brightfield One Solar Array and has 828 Tennessee-made solar panels.
It sells electricity to Tennessee Valley Authority under the Generation Partners program.
The solar farm could produce the equivalent of about $50,000 worth of electricity per year and offset greenhouse gas emissions by roughly 422,000 pounds per year.
Ferguson said RSI is considering building more solar farms, to be named Brightfield 2 and Brightfield 3.
The first would be located on about 30 acres at an undisclosed location in Oak Ridge and might be able to generate roughly three megawatts.
The other would be at an out-of-state U.S. Air Force base.
Ferguson said he should have more details in about six months.
Pictured above from left during a Tuesday ceremony at Brightfield One are Rick Ferguson, RSI vice president; Lawrence Young, CROET president and CEO; Susan Cange, DOE Oak Ridge Office acting assistant manager for environmental management; Leo Sain, UCOR president; Tom Beehan, Oak Ridge mayor; and Matt Brown, TVA renewable energy program product manager.
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