Huber Engineered Materials plant switches on solar array

Atlanta, GA – J.M. Huber Corporation and SolAmerica Energy announced the completion of a 1.8 megawatt (DC), ground-mounted solar array located at the Huber Engineered Materials (HEM) Fire Retardant Additives Marblehead facility in Quincy, Illinois. The plant is now receiving more than 60% of its power from the array during daylight hours. This effort is part of the state-administered Illinois Shines incentive program supporting the development of new solar energy generation throughout the state.

“Constructing the solar array supports Huber’s enterprise-wide goal of reducing energy and water use intensity and CO₂ emissions by 10% by 2022,” Huber’s Executive Vice President of Environment, Health, Safety & Sustainability Don Young explains. “We are extremely proud of the entire team at the Marblehead facility for their commitment and hard work on this project.”

Comprised of more than 4,900 photovoltaic panels, the solar array is expected to produce 2.4 million kilowatt hours of energy annually. According to estimates from the US Environmental Protection Agency, generating the same amount of electricity using nonrenewable sources would result in the release of nearly 1,700 metric tons of carbon dioxide, or the equivalent emissions avoided by removing more than 350 passenger vehicles off the road annually.

HEM will purchase the electricity generated by the array through a 15-year, fixed-rate solar power purchase agreement with Luminace, a Brookfield Renewable Company. The fixed rate provides resiliency against price fluctuations over time.

“Working with Huber on the development and construction of this project has been rewarding for the SolAmerica team,” noted R. Stanley Allen, SolAmerica’s CEO. “Huber’s vision was clear from day one, and they met every challenge with resolve. We could not have asked for a better partner.”

“The project will provide two-thirds of the facility’s power needs during daylight hours. This is a reflection of a broader initiative within HEM to lighten our environmental footprint globally, which includes the recently announced replacement of a coal-fired power plant in Germany to a new state-of-the-art energy-efficient gas-fire unit,” HEM President Dan Krawczyk says.