The Back River Wastewater Treatment Plant could soon
significantly reduce its energy costs thanks to a newly
completed array of solar panels at the Essex facility. According
to figures released by Baltimore City, the 4,200 panels
—installed by Johnson Controls—will save the city $6 million
over the life of the project. The city invested $4 million in
the project, which was offset by a $900,000 grant from the
Maryland Energy Administration. The panels are expected to
generate 1,000 kilowatts of electricity per hour and are
expected to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by more than 9,500
metric tons annually, according to a Baltimore City news
release. According to the release, this is the “equivalent to
planting 245,500 trees and removing nearly 1,800 passenger
vehicles from the road.” The Back River Wasterwater Treatment
plant, which is more than 100 years old, sits on 466 acres and
serves 1.3 million people who live in Baltimore City and
Baltimore County. The plant operates constantly and treats up to
180 mill