Strata Solar, Duke Energy commission 5 MW PV plant in North Carolina

On January 12th, 2012 Strata Solar LLC (Chapel Hill, North Carolina, U.S.) and Duke Energy Corporation (Charlotte, North Carolina, U.S.) announced that they have commissioned a 5 MW solar photovoltaic (PV) plant in Cleveland County in the U.S. state of North Carolina.  Duke Energy Carolinas LLC (Charlotte, North Carolina, U.S.) will purchase the electricity generated by the Kings Mountain Solar plant as well as the plant's renewable energy credits (RECs) under a 20-year contract.

“Kings Mountain Solar and Strata's ongoing development of utility-scale solar farms is an excellent example of how sustainability has transformed into a mainstream economic force, resulting in an explosion of long-term job creation across the state,” said Strata Solar CEO Markus Wilhelm.

“We are thrilled to partner with Duke Energy Carolinas in fostering environmental responsibility and bringing clean economic development to North Carolina.”

North Carolina leads neighbors in PV capacity

The Kings Mountain plant is comprised of 22,000 PV modules, and the companies estimate that it will generate enough power to serve the needs of 616 average sized homes in the region.

North Carolina has emerged as a regional leader in solar capacity in the U.S. South, as one of the few states in the region with a renewable portfolio standard (RPS) policy, which requires utilities to purchase or generate an increasing amount of their electricity from renewable energy sources.

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