PV Magazine – Montana City Flips Switch on 545 kW Municipal Solar Facility

Ameresco, an energy efficiency and renewable energy system installer, announced the electrification of a 545 kW behind-the-meter solar photovoltaic (PV) array for the city of Missoula’s wastewater treatment plant.

At a “flip the switch” event held in the Montana city this week, officials christened the municipal solar project, which Ameresco will maintain under a 25-year solar energy agreement that had zero upfront cost to the municipality, the companies said.

The solar facility consists of 948 ground-mounted panels and represents the largest behind-the-meter solar project in Montana to date. The facility is projected to produce 700,000 kWh each year of clean energy and offset about 20% of the wastewater treatment facility’s energy consumption, saving the city $7,000 per year in energy costs and 8,000 tons of CO2 emissions from being burned.

“Our city has a long track record of implementing forward-thinking conservation and climate change measures and the completion of the solar PV array at our wastewater treatment facility is another demonstration of our commitment to sustainability,” said Ross Mollenhauer, engineering manager for Missoula.

Construction of the facility began in the Summer of 2022 and completed in March 2023.

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