U.S. Navy, Air Force working on three big solar installations with Coronal Energy

By Chris Crowell January 20, 2017

Coronal Energy and Gulf Power Ceremonial Panel Event at Eglin Air Force Base. On the left (from back to front) Ed Feo, President, Coronal Energy, Michael Burroughs, Vice President – Senior Production Officer, Gulf Power Company. On the right (from back to front) Col. Johnson, Eglin Air Force Base, Pete Bronski, Marketing & Content Strategy, Panasonic Enterprise Solutions Company, Danny Van Clief, Chief Commercial Officer, Coronal Energy

Executives from Gulf Power and Coronal Energy, powered by Panasonic, joined officials from Eglin Air Force Base and Naval Air Station (NAS) Pensacola for the installation of the first two solar photovoltaic panels on two large-scale solar projects. The projects at Eglin Air Force Base and NAS Pensacola’s Navy Outlying Landing Field (NOLF) Saufley, along with a third project at NAS Whiting Field’s NOLF Holley, comprise the Gulf Coast Solar Center Portfolio.

When complete, the combined facilities will be among the state’s largest solar projects. The 120 MWac portfolio will include approximately 1.5 million solar panels and generate enough electricity to power approximately 18,000 homes annually.

Coronal Energy, powered by Panasonic, is constructing the three facilities on Department of Defense property in Northwest Florida: one at NAS Pensacola’s NOLF Sau-fley, one on NAS Whiting Field’s NOLF Holley, and one at Eglin Air Force Base. Construction began at all three locations in November and all are expected to be-come operational during the summer of 2017.

Jim Doyle, president of Panasonic Enterprise Solutions Company, added: “Solar is the world’s fastest-growing energy source. With these projects, Gulf Power — in cooperation with the Air Force and the Navy — takes a big step forward adding clean, resilient, domestic renewable energy to its portfolio for the benefit of its customers. They’re showing how going solar translates to smart business and smart government, not just for residents and businesses in Florida but also across the country.”

Energy produced by the projects will serve Gulf Power customers across Northwest Florida and were unanimously approved by the Florida Public Service Commission in April 2015. Together, these facilities will be among the largest photovoltaic arrays in Florida and have the potential to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by more than 3.5 million U.S. tons over 25 years. Combined they will be one of the largest solar projects east of the Mississippi.

The solar facilities are estimated to generate the following amounts of energy:

• NAS Pensacola’s NOLF Saufley: approximately 600,000 photovoltaic panels with a capacity of 50 megawatts producing enough energy to power nearly 7,400 Escambia County homes for a year;

• NAS Whiting Field’s NOLF Holley: approximately 475,000 photovoltaic panels with a capacity of 40 megawatts producing enough energy to power nearly 6,100 Santa Rosa County homes for a year;

• Eglin Air Force Base: approximately 375,000 photovoltaic panels with a capacity of 30 megawatts producing enough energy to power nearly 4,500 Okaloosa County homes for a year