A 10-acre solar facility on Jim Kidd Road in Huntersville is expected to generate enough electricity to power roughly 380 homes a year. The project puts vacant Charlotte Water land to use, with its output intended for the local grid.
Charlotte Water opened the facility, according to WSOC-TV. The property had been unused before the solar project was built.
The roles are divided: EnerWealth owns the facility, while Charlotte Water supplied the land. The utility did not develop or own the solar installation, WSOC-TV reported.
Where the Power Actually Goes
With production capacity enough to power roughly 380 homes a year, the planned system could also help power one of Charlotte Water's own treatment plants, per the same account. That dual benefit — helping people in Huntersville while also supporting the utility's energy needs — is part of what makes the site notable beyond its modest 10-acre footprint.
EnerWealth is set to sell the electricity to EnergyUnited, the regional electric cooperative, under a contract lasting at least 10 years, WSOC-TV reported. Charlotte Water spokesperson Kimberly Holmes-Iverson described the output as contributing to Huntersville through the grid.
Other North Carolina Utility-Site Solar Projects
The Huntersville project has precedents elsewhere in the state. Carolina Solar Energy says it partnered with Raleigh in November 2009 on a separate 255 kWdc solar installation at the EM Johnson Water Treatment Plant; its electricity is sold to Duke Energy Progress. A different model was reported at Raleigh's Neuse River Wastewater Treatment Plant. WaterWorld reported that a 1.3-megawatt array entered service there on Jan. 8, 2012, with NxGen Power owning and operating it and selling its output to Progress Energy Carolinas.
A Local Piece of a Larger Push
The project's electricity is being sold to EnergyUnited, the regional electric cooperative. For Huntersville, the practical result is straightforward: the project is intended to send solar power onto the grid to help people in the community.
