The system is expected to produce about 317,000 kilowatt-hours a year, equal to one month of the plant’s on-peak power use.
The city of Miramar, Florida, has opened a solar energy system at its wastewater reclamation facility. It is the city’s first renewable energy project.
City officials and residents marked the launch with a ribbon-cutting Sept. 1. The project also included a full replacement of the facility’s aging roof.
The facility runs around the clock and spends about $1 million a year on energy, according to the city. Miramar’s long-term goal is to reduce the facility’s reliance on the electrical grid as it puts more renewable energy strategies in place.
The solar system is expected to generate about 317,000 kilowatt-hours a year. That equals one month of the facility’s on-peak electricity use. The city says the output is equivalent to avoiding 213 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions annually.
Advanced Green Technologies, Siemens Energy and Florida Power & Light partnered with the city on the project.
One of the most significant construction challenges was routing electrical wiring from several roof areas underground to the main utility meter. The meter sits thousands of feet away in a separate building.
Ground-penetrating radar surveys were used across the facility to locate existing utilities and other buried infrastructure. Crews then dug trenches around those utilities, much of it by hand. According to the city, the approach lengthened the installation schedule, and the work was completed without damage to critical underground infrastructure.
City officials said the project is only the beginning. Miramar continues to look for renewable energy opportunities across its municipal facilities.
About the Author
Danielle Naidu is assistant editor for Security Today, Campus Security Today, Occupational Health & Safety and Environmental Protection Online.

The system is expected to produce about 317,000 kilowatt-hours a year, equal to one month of the plant’s on-peak power use.
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