Solar Energy
DEMEC is committed to helping its members develop renewable energy systems in their communities, not only because it’s the environmentally friendly thing to do, but because it’s what they choose to do.
Member Solar Development
Clayton
The Town of Clayton installed a 6kW system on the new Clayton Public Works building in 2021. Previously, in 2015, Clayton installed its first 4kW community solar system on the local Clayton Fire Department, showing the commitment of the town to support critical infrastructure with renewable energy. Learn more about Clayton Fire Department’s Solar Energy Production. The kilowatt-hours produced not only green the buildings, but it also serve to reduce community taxes that pay for city facilities. The systems generate electricity equivalent to charging 724,000 smart phones.
Dover
The City of Dover’s Dover SUN Park is a 10MW facility. It was the first utility-scale solar power plant in the region. It supplies enough power for over 1,700 homes and created about 150 local jobs during construction. This is the second largest solar facility in the state of Delaware.
Middletown
The Town of Middletown designated over $17,000 of its Green Energy funds for a solar power system at Bunker Hill Elementary School. In the 2010/2011 school year, Governor Jack Markell and Senator Chris Coons helped dedicate Delaware’s first renewable energy classroom.
Milford
The City of Milford’s Milford Solar Park is a 15MW solar project on 80 acres of land. The $50 million project completed construction in 2012 and helped create approximately 100 jobs during construction. This is the largest solar facility in the state of Delaware.
New Castle
The Municipal Services Commission of the City of New Castle built its first community solar project, a 29kW solar array, in 2016 to support the interest of its community to locate more renewable energy inside municipal borders.
Newark
The City of Newark added a 400kW solar park at the Newark Reservoir on May 16, 2022 as part of their sustainability commitment. The City also worked to put roughly 1MW of solar generation on municipal building rooftops, which preserves land while increasing renewable energy. Previously, Newark invested in a 230kW solar generation facility on a 3.91-acre former landfill site called McKees Solar Park that began operations in Oct. 2014. This community-owned solar resource enables all community members to participate in solar. Project design and acquisition was managed by DEMEC. The City of Newark also offers a community solar program for customers to participate in a way that supports renewable energy without having to purchase solar panels on their own. See more information on Newark’s renewable program.
Seaford
The City of Seaford procured a State of Delaware low-interest loan to partially fund a 688kW solar electric facility to power the local sewer pumping station, saving customers money and providing a steady source of power to the facility.
Smyrna
The Town of Smyrna built its first community solar project, a 1.5MW solar generation facility, in the Smyrna Business Park. The project was completed during the summer of 2018 to benefit their customers by providing more renewable energy and saving transmission costs.