Luke, APS solar array live

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Grace Lee
  • 56th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
LUKE AIR FORCE BASE, ARIZONA --  Luke Air Force Base and Arizona Public Service partnered to install a solar array producing enough energy to power 2,500 homes, benefiting the environment and achieving renewable energy goals.
"The solar array is fully operational, and because of it we are preventing about 19,000 tons of carbon emissions being released into the environment," said Robert Worley, 56th Civil Engineer Squadron installation management flight chief. "It also produces 10 mega-watts of renewable energy per year. To put it in perspective, the base uses 70 mega-watts per year."

For those who don't know, a solar array is any order or group of solar panels that capture and transform sunlight into energy.

By helping make the solar array possible, Luke is contributing to the Arizona Sun Program, via improving Arizona's air quality and creating a means of renewable energy.

The project has been in the making since 2008, but the partnership wasn't official until 2010.

"In 2010, we officially began a partnership with APS to take a deeper look into the site," Worley said. "We determined it was possible and went through a variety of options on how to do it, whether to purchase the power from APS or just lease the land to them. About a year ago the Air Force and APS decided the best option would be to lease the land to build a solar array on to meet renewable energy goals for the state of Arizona and APS."

Although the plan was to have an active solar array by 2011, an unknown archeology site was discovered that required mitigation. It created a four-year delay in the project.

Currently, Luke is leasing the land to APS for approximately $120,000 per year for the next 30 years. The funds will go toward maintaining the buildings at Luke. APS will own, operate and maintain the solar array at no cost to the government.

"A lot of work went into this project," said Michael Pangelinan, 56th CES real property officer. "On the real estate side of this, we had to work a land lease between the Air Force and APS for the solar site and more. We also helped credential close to 400 contractors."

The solar array not only helps the environment, but contributes to Air Force renewable energy goals.

"The solar array at Luke Air Force Base increases the Air Force's energy flexibility and diversity, and provides consumers with clean and affordable power," said Miranda Ballentine, Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Installations, Environment and Energy. "By working with industry and the local community to develop these third-party financed projects, we are improving Air Force mission assurance through energy assurance and being the best stewards of tax payer dollars possible."