Groundbreaking for new solar project at Hamilton County Jail

Hamilton County Commissioners Mark Heirbrandt (left) and Christine Altman stand next to one of the 9,300 solar panels that will be installed on the roofs at the correctional campus and three acres adjacent to State Road 37 north of State Road 32. (Photo provided)

The Hamilton County Commissioners will break ground on one of the state’s largest solar panel projects at 10:30 a.m. on Monday, March 12 at the Hamilton County Jail and Hamilton County Health Department.

The $8 million project will feature 9,300 solar panels. It is expected to save the county $25 million in utility and maintenance costs over the next 25 years. The solar project should be complete by late June.

Johnson-Melloh Solutions, the project contractor, will provide live web monitoring of the energy being saved by the solar project. The county can share this information with local schools to teach students about energy consumption. Field trips to the solar field will also be available. To see the live monitoring capabilities of the project, visit johnsonmellohsolutions.com/live-monitoring.

The groundbreaking will take place at the north end of the Health Department located on the east side of State Road 37 just north of State Road 32.