Solar Produced in Vegas, Stays in Vegas with 3MW PV Project

Las Vegas city officials recently gathered to celebrate the completion of a 3MW solar project for the city’s Water Pollution Control Facility (WPCF). The new solar farm is the largest PV project for a city government in the western United States. City officials attending the event included Las Vegas City Manager, Betsy Fretwell, and Mayor Carolyn G. Goodman. 

Three 1MW Sunny Central 500 HE-US inverters were installed, each housed on its own SMA MV Power Platform.

System Details

Bombard Renewable Energy, alongside Martin Harris Construction, JBA Electrical Engineer, and JMA Architecture Studios engineered, procured, and constructed the 3MW PV plant. 15,000 ground mounted solar panels were installed across more than 18 acres of previously unused land owned by the city. Bombard installed three 1MW Sunny Central 500 HE-US inverters, each housed on its own SMA MV Power Platform.

“We are proud to be part of such an important project to the city of Las Vegas and one that will provide clean energy for the city for many years to come.” – Chris Brooks,  director of Bombard Renewable Energy

Extreme climate conditions like the desert, make for high demands on solar technologies.

America’s Hottest & Coldest City

Located within the Mojave Desert, Las Vegas is both one of the hottest and coldest cities in North America. That is why Bombard chose SMA inverters for the WPCF project; they needed an inverter that would withstand extreme temperatures and dusty conditions, while providing reliable performance for the operational life of the PV plant. 

Cutting Costs for Taxpayers

The WPCF solar project was part of the city’s Sustainability Initiative, developed to increase “green” energy consumption and retrofit old city buildings to be more energy efficient. With an average of 292 sunny days a year, the City of Las Vegas knew solar was a smart investment. They are expecting to save more than $2.5 million per year in energy costs, while safeguarding against future increases in electricity rates.

Solar Spotlight aims to highlight SMA inverters in real-world situations. Email us with information about your SMA-powered PV projects at SocialMedia@SMA-America.com