Baltimore County Wednesday cut the ribbon on its largest solar power project to date.
Solar panels have been installed on the roof of the Randallstown Community Center. They are expected to be up and running by Mid-May.
The county has a goal to have 100 percent of the electricity it needs to run its day to day operations to come from renewable energy by 2026.
County Executive Johnny Olszewski admits that goal is ambitious.
“We are confident that we are on track and we will do whatever it takes to make sure we hit that goal,” Olszewski said.”
Officials were unable to say how far along the county is towards meeting that goal.
The county expects to break ground this summer on a bigger solar project at the closed Parkton landfill.
County Councilman Julian Jones noted solar panels can spark controversy when they go up in rural areas.
Jones said putting solar panels on the community center’s roof is a “win-win.”
Jones said, “This is what I call an excellent use of a roof.”
Baltimore County Chief Sustainability Officer Gregory Strella said renewable energy efforts can be woven effectively into homes, businesses and communities.
“The Randallstown Community Center is a brilliant example of this, featuring prominent renewable energy in a vibrant community space,” Strella said.
The Randallstown solar panels are expected to generate the same amount of energy that 110 homes would use annually. It’s expected to generate around 800,000 kilowatt hours of power during its first year.
The obligatory ribbon cutting for the project would have been a bit dicey on the roof so it was held on the sidewalk in front of the community center.