The City of Carmel, Carmel Utilities, and Telamon Corporation will cut the ribbon on a new solar array project – nearly 3,000 solar panels at two locations – that will provide power to the city’s water plant and save about $1.8 million in future utility costs.
The ribbon cutting and dedication will take place at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, May 25 at the solar array located at 4915 E. 106th St., just east of Gray Road. Carmel Mayor Jim Brainard, Carmel Green Initiative Director Leslie Webb, and Telamon Vice President Reggie Henderson will speak at the dedication.
Brainard
“We are very excited to see this project come online and provide us with a source of clean, effective energy that will save our taxpayers millions in future utility costs,” Brainard said. “We are proud to join Telamon, one of our longtime corporate partners in this project that will benefit the environment for many years to come.”
Carmel-based Telamon served as the City’s consultant during the construction process. In addition to saving money, being environmentally friendly and lessening carbon emissions, another goal of the project is to help make Carmel Utilities more self-sufficient in times of grid outages due to weather, mechanical failure, cyber-attack or any other interruption.
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Construction on the $1.7 million project began in 2020 and features the installation of 2,988 panels that produce 365 watts each. In addition to the project site at 106th Street and Gray Road, a second location has been established near 106th Street and Hazel Dell Parkway. The combined locations are already generating the equivalent of electricity that could power about 1,230 homes per year.
The project was financed through a combination of a low interest loan from the Indiana Finance Authority’s State Revolving Fund program and a water utility bond. Carmel Utilities will see energy cost savings of $140,000 per year, and the average life of a solar panel is 25 to 30 years.