The site is the US Army’s largest training ground and also houses NASA’s Goldstone Deep Space Communications centre.
The facilities will be installed at five sites with a total area of about 38 square kilometres, and a total energy capacity of 500 MW.
The decision was made by the US Army’s Senior Energy Council, a body created in October 2008 to accelerate a sustainable energy strategy in light of a federal mandate requiring the Army to reduce its energy consumption by 30 per cent by 2015 (compared to 2003) and to cover 25 per cent of its energy needs with renewable energies by 2025.
Colonel Jim Chevalier, Garrison Commander at Fort Irwin said that the plant “illustrates the commitment of Fort Irwin and the Army to incorporate environmental stewardship at all levels of operations.”
Article continues below…Also in the US, technology giant Dell has completed construction of a new 516-panel solar structure on its Round Rock, Texas headquarters campus.
The solar array is designed to generate 130,000 kW hours of power annually, helping to avoid around 65 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions per year.
The structure, located in an employee parking lot, will shade 50 parking spaces and provide two charging stations for plug-in electric vehicles.
Dell partnered with McBride Electric Inc., Envision Solar and BP Solar to design and build the structure.
