RTP is now home to N.C.'s largest corporate solar power system

A 30-kilowatt solar photovoltaic system was switched on earlier this month at Delta Products' office in Research Triangle Park, N.C. Made up of 160 solar panels, it's the largest corporate-owned, roof-mounted solar PV system in the state:

On average, the system will produce about 36,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity each year -- enough to power three to four typical N.C. homes and offset about 37 tons of carbon dioxide annually. For more details on how these numbers were calculated, click here.

Delta partnered with Morrisville, N.C.-based sustainable energy company Southern Energy Management to engineer, design and install the system.

"We are thrilled we had the chance to work with Delta on this project, which we believe is just the first of many milestones to come for North Carolina’s burgeoning solar industry," said Bob Kingery, co-owner of Southern Energy Management. "This project demonstrates that large-scale solar systems are feasible in our state, and that solar power is a smart financial investment for companies."

Besides earning a qualified utility rate and renewable energy payments from the N.C. GreenPower program, Delta also received federal and state tax incentives for the system. Altogether, these incentives cover more than 70 percent of the cost of the system, which is expected to pay for itself in less than 12 years.