CCCF - Solar Array

Executive Summary 

The installed 1.197 MW dc ground mount solar array at our Center County Corrections Facility at 700 Rishel Hill Rd, Bellefonte was completed in April of 2020 and West Penn Power granted permission to operate at that time. Centre County is the host client for the array.  The array consists of 3,150 380W Tier 1 bifacial solar panels and is modeled to generate 1,700,000 kWh of electricity annually in year one.  There is an industry normal and anticipated .5% output reduction annually with solar panels generation.  Over a 40-year period, the solar array is modeled to generate over 60 million kWh of electricity. The array will offset nearly 100% of the Centre County Correctional Facility’s annual usage.  Centre County will have the option to purchase the array at fair market value at various times throughout the life of the array or continue to make power service payments.

In high level summary, contractual agreement was reached in May 2019 on the array, permitting was accomplished by November 2019, racking and panel installation completed in March 2020 and final permission to operate granted by West Penn Power in April 2020.  

Project Benefit to the Community 

The solar array is located east of the Correctional Facility in Benner Township, Bellefonte, PA and is within the First Energy/West Penn Power utility service area.  Significant environmental benefits will be accomplished over the lifetime of the array including over 42,000 metric tons of Co2 emission avoidance and an offset of over 47 million pounds equivalent of coal burning.        

Financial Summary

Of the project’s total $1.8 million cost, approximately 60% is comprised of direct materials including racking, inverters, solar panels, monitoring equipment, etc. and approximately 30% of the cost is installation.  Remaining soft costs include administrative, permitting, restoration and development fees.

Grant funding provided by WPPSEF helped to offset a portion of the bifacial panel purchase for the array. Bifacial panel technology has enabled Center County Corrections Facility to position itself on the leading edge of solar panel technology adaptation in a rapidly changing market.

Click here (link) to view the production of the solar array to date.

Information on CCCF Bifacial Panels Technology

The panels for the Centre County installation are monocrystalline, framed, dual glass, 380W bifacial panels and are modeled to yield an incremental conservative 5% generation over traditional panels.    Our Centre County installation is comprised of 180-degree azimuth, 36-inch height from ground, 25-degree tilt, dual portrait placed panels utilizing a green, slow grow grass background to accomplish cost effective reflectivity yield.  

We are excited to have this installed technology at our Centre County Correctional Facility and that West Penn Power Sustainable Energy Fund’s grant has provided financial support to the overall cost of the project to afford Centre County with a cost effective, latest technologically advanced solar array!