SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Sacramento District awarded an $8.4 million contract Sept. 20 to Koontz Electric of Morrilton, Ark., for installation of a solar micro grid at Fort Hunter Liggett, located in Monterey County, Calif.
Construction is scheduled to begin July 2012. Completion is scheduled for January 2013.
Funded by the Department of Defense’s Energy Conservation Investment Program, the micro grid will be supported by a one megawatt solar power field, with power connections and meter to reroute excess energy back to the main grid.
The solar panels will double as a parking structure for the post’s Reserve Training Center’s vehicle storage yard and bring the post one step closer to becoming one of the first Net Zero installations in the country, said Capt. Ross Renken, project manager for the project.
As part of the Army’s overall effort to conserve precious resources, Net Zero installations will consume only as much energy or water as they produce and eliminate solid waste to landfills. Fort Hunter Liggett was one of several installations identified in April by the DOD as a Net Zero pilot installation.
Koontz Electric is a U.S. Small Business Administration 8(a)-designated small business. The Small Business Administration’s 8(a) Business Development Program is designed to help small, disadvantaged businesses compete for federal contracts.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Sacramento District provides planning, engineering, project management, environmental restoration and construction services to military and civilian customers in parts of eight western states, including California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Oregon and Wyoming.