iPhone Marks Commissioning of Largest Solar Array in Vermont, Largest Solar Tracker Farm of its Kind in North America

SOUTH BURLINGTON, Vt., July 27, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The touch of an iPhone -- which brought the last of 382 solar trackers into position perpendicular with the sun -- marked the commissioning of the largest solar installation in Vermont and the largest installation of its kind in all of North America.

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Manufactured just four miles from the site of the solar farm, 382 AllSun Trackers produced by Williston-based AllEarth Renewables make up the 2.2 MW farm.  The pole-mounted trackers use innovative GPS and wireless technology to actively follow the sun throughout the day, producing more than 40 percent more energy than fixed solar.  

With inverters on each tracker to boost energy performance, the project is the largest solar installation to use such a configuration in North America.

Attending the commissioning were more than 75 local contractors, engineers, suppliers, developers, parts fabricators, manufacturers, and other workers that had a direct hand in building the project.

"This project not only produces renewable energy from the sun, it creates a lot of local clean energy jobs," said David Blittersdorf, CEO and founder of AllEarth Renewables.  "We've innovated and refined our AllSun Tracker so it can be affordably used to power homes or businesses, and at the same time make up a utility-sized farm like this project in South Burlington."

Part of the state's Standard Offer program, the farm will sell an estimated 2.91 million annual kWh of power generated by the installation to Vermont's Sustainably Priced Energy Development (SPEED) Program.  The Standard Offer was established as part of the Vermont Energy Act of 2009.

Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin, Lt. Governor Phil Scott, and Speaker of the House Shap Smith also spoke at the event.

In June, AllEarth Renewables' CEO was named by Business Week as one of 25 of "America's Most Promising Social Entrepreneurs."  The company, which employs 26, earlier this month announced a partnership with four installers to provide distribution of affordable solar solution throughout Vermont.  

SOURCE AllEarth Renewables, Inc.