Solar panels are becoming part of the northern Delaware landscape. DuPont Co. is seeing solar cells on a site it owns along the Christina River in Newport as a Wilmington project nears completion.
The Newport site had earlier been remediated by DuPont, which operated in the area for many years.
DuPont spokesman Terry Goodling said the project is being developed by Tangent Energy and owned by Greenwood Energy will provide solar power for the area.
The solar panels are being supplied by DuPont Apollo Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of DuPont
DuPont plans to announce further details following the project’s expected completion at the end of November.”
Meanwhile, New York-based Greenwood Energy, earlier this year, has completed the purchase of approximately two megawatts of production from solar projects in Wilmington.
The ‘Peninsula’ projects, each approximately 1 megawatt in size, were originally developed by Tangent Energy Solutions, Inc., Kennett Square, Pa. The projects are nearing completion.
The Peninsula solar installations, built on about seven acres of remediated brownfield area, will sell power to Delmarva Power.
Remediation sites are viewed as good candidates for solar cells, since the areas are not suitable for other types of development and solar cells do little to disturb the area.
Solar projects have been aided by state mandates that will lead to a quarter of all electric power in the state coming from alternative sources.
The lion’s share of solar energy generation has gone online in Kent and Sussex counties.
Other solar arrays upstate are in Delaware City and at an AstraZeneca complex.
Delaware also is the home manufacturing site for Taiwan-based Motech. Motech solar cells have been used in other solar projects in the state, including Delaware City. – Doug Rainey
The accompanying photo is a Motech array in Delaware City.
