BALTIMORE — There are plans to develop a solar farm in Baltimore City that would provide power to facilities within the University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS) and city residents.
WeSolar, Inc. says the goal is to "reduce the bills of low-to-moderate-income customers by at least 25%."
As a development partner, UMMS will pay a foundational commitment of $10,000 per month for up to 18 months to help with construction of the solar farm at a location to be determined in Baltimore City.
The proposed farm projects to generate eight megawatts of energy, 50 percent (four megawatts) of which will be purchased by UMMS.
Once the farm is constructed, UMMS employees earning less than $67,000 can acquire solar energy at their residences from the Baltimore Gas & Electric grid at a 25% discount.
This arrangement could come at a cheaper rate than if a customer were to buy panels for rooftop installation.
Under this proposal, customers have the option to purchase or lease panels that reside on a nearby farm which transmit energy back into the grid, that powers individual homes in areas with accessibility issues, particularly those renting or living in homes that don't support the technology.
Those subscribing to the service receive a credit each billing cycle.
Maryland currently ranks 17th among U.S. states in solar power, which generates 4.43 percent of its electricity from solar power, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association.
Since 2015, the Maryland Energy Administration says the state has quadrupled its solar energy capacity.
Currently, the state employs 5,000 people in the solar field and has nearly 78,000 solar installations.
This is the second solar energy-related project that UMMS has embarked on. In 2013, the System announced an agreement with Bithenergy and Constellation to purchase electricity produced by a 25-acre solar power farm in Somerset County on Maryland's Eastern Shore. That farm produces about two percent of the electricity used by UMMS.
