Western Disposal announced it has entered into an agreement with local solar energy producerJack’s Solar Garden to purchase 15% of its 1.2 MW capacity. The deal boosts Western’s electricity purchases from all sources to supporting 90% renewables. Jack’s Solar Garden, located off North 95th St. in Boulder County, is the largest commercially active research site for agrivoltaics in the United States. Agrivoltaics is the co-location of solar power and agricultural production. In addition to generating enough renewable solar energy to power 300 homes, Jack’s Solar Garden has partnered with Colorado State University, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, and the University of Arizona to study growing crops underneath and around the solar panels to learn what crops grow best in this environment within a solar array.
“We’re excited to have Western Disposal as a commercial subscriber of Jack’s Solar Garden.” commented Byron Kominek, owner of Jack’s Solar Garden. “Western Disposal has a history of striving to improve their stewardship of ourenvironment, and I’m happy Jack’s Solar Garden is now a part of that history.”
“Up to now, about 65% of Western’s electrical consumption supported renewables in the form of self-generated solar and wind offsets.” said Kathy Carroll, Community Relations Manager for the company. “We’ve been on the lookout for opportunities to increase our renewables profile, and this project really resonated with us. Not only does Jack’s Solar Garden provide a local renewable energy source, but it is pursuing a forward looking, innovative approach to reviving and preserving local agricultural land. We’re pleased to have the opportunity to support this unique environmental initiative.”
Carbon footprint reduction is a priority for Western Disposal. In addition to supporting renewable electricity, thecompany’s collection fleet is fueled by compressed natural gas, avoiding 900 metric tons of CO2 annually. Sixty-five percent of the fleet is powered with renewable natural gas produced at the city of Boulder’s Wastewater Treatmentplant.