U.S. Energy, a leading provider of refined products, alternative fuels, and environmental credits, has recently completed its first solar project at one of its terminals in Fort Worth, Texas. The terminal has been under the ownership and operation of U.S. Energy since December 2014.
Spanning across nearly 13,000 square feet of land between the terminal office and tank farm, the Fort Worth solar field is comprised of 312 400W bifacial solar modules that contribute to a 124.8kW DC system. This initiative is expected to generate 185-195MWh of electricity each year, offsetting nearly 50 percent of the terminal’s electrical energy load that would otherwise be sourced from grid power. Although any excess solar energy produced can be sold back to the grid, the majority will be consumed onsite.
Dan Morrill, Vice President of Operations at U.S. Energy, expressed his enthusiasm about the completion of their first terminal solar project. He stated, “As we work towards our goal of carbon neutrality, this terminal was an ideal starting point for us due to the available real estate. Having already implemented solar microgrids at two of our renewable natural gas (RNG) projects, we were able to apply the knowledge and experience gained to this endeavor.”
EnTech Solutions, a prominent provider of sustainable and reliable energy solutions, played a crucial role as a project partner. They provided comprehensive project management services, including energy modeling, solar engineering and development, installation, and optimization. This collaboration marks the third solar project that U.S. Energy and EnTech Solutions have worked on together.
Matt Sabee, Group Leader of Field Energy at EnTech Solutions, expressed his pride in partnering with U.S. Energy on another significant renewable energy project. He emphasized their commitment to promoting the growth of renewable power in alignment with the sustainability goals of their clients and the global environment.
Mike Koel, President of U.S. Energy, highlighted the benefits of this project in terms of reducing their carbon footprint and gaining insights for future sustainability efforts. He stated, “By monitoring both terminal energy usage and solar energy generation in real-time, this project enables us to not only reduce our existing carbon footprint but also explore opportunities for further reductions. As we gather more data on its performance, we will consider expanding solar fields to our other owned and operated terminals.”
U.S. Energy operates a network of over 35 owned and operated refined product terminals throughout the United States. Supported by their internal supply and trading teams, multimodal logistic capabilities, and eight-million-barrel storage capacity, the company places a strong emphasis on sustainability. Nearly 80 percent of their terminals that require vapor control have been updated with vapor recovery units instead of vapor combustion units, including the Fort Worth North terminal.
For more information visit www.us-energy.com.
