Unveiling Central Colorado’s First Large-scale Solar Array

On August 11, 2020, Johnson Controls and Gunnison County, CO hosted a ceremonial event to unveil the first large-scale solar array in central Colorado, built on six buildings throughout the County. The event took place at the Gunnison County Courthouse, one of the sites where solar power will directly offset the building’s electrical power needs.

During the event, Rowena Adams, Performance Infrastructure™ account executive at Johnson Controls, spoke about the partnership and what the project means for the County. The project, which includes the installation of solar photovoltaic (PV) panels and LED lighting upgrades, will help Gunnison County reduce energy use and lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. These solar and energy solutions will continue to make the community a healthier place to live, work and play.

Gunnison County commissioner Jonathan Houck spoke about the County’s energy goals and how the teams worked together to achieve them. Matthew Birnie, Gunnison County manager; John Cattles, Gunnison County sustainable operations director, and Mike Kruger, president of Colorado Solar and Storage Association (COSSA), each spoke about the successful project and what it means to have high energy efficient buildings in the County.

The project was enabled through the Colorado Energy Office and a grant from the Colorado Department of Local Affairs (DOLA), and exemplifies Governor Polis's vision of getting to 100% renewable electricity by 2040. For more details on the project, view the press release here. Additionally, you can find information about our other solar projects in Colorado here.