U.S. State Department and PowerFlex Host South American Delegates for Solar Tour

PowerFlex recently spent the day with a group of Brazilian energy professionals and policymakers, who were invited by the U.S. State Department to tour one of the largest solar systems in New York City. Brazil currently has a significant hydropower system in place, but the environmental impacts of hydropower have led many government and private sector agencies to explore solar power as a more reliable renewable energy option.  To help educate these energy experts on the viability of going solar in Brazil, the State Department initiated a program called “Climate Partners Brazil,” which fosters dialogue on clean energy technology, policy, and finance. Representatives from the State Department, the United Nations, and the American Council On Renewable Energy (ACORE) organized meetings between Brazilian energy practitioners and leading renewable energy businesses like PowerFlex.The group who joined PowerFlex included a Deputado Federal of the Câmara dos Deputados, delegates from the Brazilian Mines and Energy Ministry and the Brazilian Division of Alternative Sources of Generation, and representatives from an energy research company and a Brazilian electricity regulatory agency.The day commenced with PowerFlex’s Technical Director Edgar Lim and Marketing Director Charlie Watts explaining the engineering required for large scale commercial rooftop solar projects, as well as the financial incentives that support solar deployment in the United States.  The PowerFlex team then led the Brazilian group on a tour of Bloomberg L.P.’s rooftop solar project at the JFK Airport Solar Park.The JFK Airport Solar Park in Queens is notable for its 1.5 MW size and for its groundbreaking use of remote net metering.  The system produces 1,800,000 kWh annually, making it one of the largest installations in New York City.  Through remote net metering, the energy is used to power Bloomberg’s New York City headquarters in Manhattan. The JFK Airport Solar Park thus allows a Manhattan skyscraper with poor solar characteristics to benefit from the significant power generation of an offsite solar system.The group found the Bloomberg project to be impressive and left with valuable knowledge for how they can implement solar in Brazil.  Many from the group articulated that they are now inspired to re-think their policy strategy to include solar energy as a more prominent renewable energy option for the country.To find out more about offsite solar solutions made possible through remote net metering or how PowerFlex helps companies navigate financial and legislative programs to go solar, contact us today at 888-225-0270 or at info@entersolar.com.