Solar Arrays to be Installed for General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems
RPCS to provide mechanical installation services for Today’s Power, Inc. Project
(Monterey, CALIF.) July 8, 2020—Today’s Power, Inc. (TPI) announced earlier this week their partnership to build two solar arrays for General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems (OTS), a Florida-based aerospace and defense company, and two Battery Energy Storage Systems for Ouachita Electric Cooperative (OECC). The solar arrays, each totaling 1.2 MWdc, will be constructed near General Dynamics-OTS’ facilities in Hampton, Arkansas. RP Construction Services (RPCS) will serve as the mechanical installation partner supplying the racking for the solar portion of the project. The two battery energy storage systems will store electricity from the two solar facilities, and will have an output of 2.4 MW for two hours.
All four projects will be developed by Today’s Power Inc., and RPCS will be supplying and installing the solar array racking, which will consist of single-axis tracking systems by Array Technologies. The trackers keep the solar PV modules following the sun on its course throughout the day, optimizing energy gains and ensuring up to a 20 to 25 percent increase in energy production over fixed-tilt systems.
“We are very excited to be partnering with Today’s Power Inc. as the mechanical installer for these arrays at the General Dynamics-OTS facilities,” says RPCS Sales Director Patty Thornton.
As mentioned, the sites will also incorporate on-site battery energy storage systems that will be supplied electricity generated by the solar arrays. The storage systems are designed to lower both the cost of operations for General Dynamics and for OECC customers.
“We are excited about this opportunity to expand our usage of renewable energy and reduce our carbon footprint at the General Dynamics-OTS Calhoun County facility,” Eric Ellis, Vice President and General Manager of Precision Systems at General Dynamics-OTS, said in a statement.
Construction is slated to begin this summer.
Today’s Power, Inc. (TPI) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Arkansas Electric Cooperatives, Inc. (AECI), a Little Rock-based utility service cooperative owned by 17 Arkansas electric distribution cooperatives. TPI is one of the nation’s most experienced renewable energy companies with more utility-scale projects than any Arkansas-based company. TPI is a full-service provider able to carry out all phases of any solar or battery storage project including, but not limited to, full bill / rate analysis, site evaluation, engineering procurement, design, commissioning, monitoring, operating and maintaining projects.
RP Construction Services, Inc. (RPCS) designs, supplies, and builds utility-scale ground mount solar projects. With more than 500 completed projects throughout the United States, RPCS provides full turnkey service and support, including site layout optimization, ancillary engineering services, tracker supply, foundation post procurement, and complete mechanical installation. As a trusted partner of leading solar tracker manufacturer Array Technologies, RPCS’s history, experience, and product knowledge provides customers with a trusted choice for seamless portfolio execution.
MONTEREY, Calif., February 27, 2020—RP Construction Services, Inc. (RPCS) has strengthened their partnership with electric cooperative subsidiary Today’s Power, Inc. (TPI) by announcing their 2020 pipeline of projects to be built in TPI’s home state of Arkansas.
The newly established 2020 pipeline comes in the wake of recently completed projects built under the RPCS-TPI partnership, including the Fayetteville East and Fayetteville West projects in Fayetteville, Arkansas, totaling over 11MW. These TPI projects include the first solar-coupled battery energy storage systems (BESS) in the Mid-South, and the largest solar array on municipal land in Arkansas.