Granite is Early Adopter of Global Warming Solutions Act
1 MW Solar Plant Signifies 50 Percent Reduction of Facility's Carbon
Footprint
WATSONVILLE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Granite Construction Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of Granite
Construction Incorporated (NYSE:GVA), announced today that it is a
voluntary early adopter of California's Global Warming Solutions Act (AB
32), with the installation of a 1-megawatt (MW) thin-film solar system
at one of its central California construction materials facilities. The
installation will reduce the facility's carbon footprint by more than 50
percent—an amount equivalent to powering more than 190 homes annually.
"We are very pleased to be one of the first construction companies in
the nation to use clean energy to power our materials production
facilities," said James H. Roberts, Granite president and chief
executive officer. "As part of our company's sustainability goals, we
are committed to reducing energy emissions at our aggregate and asphalt
plants."
The state's goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions falls under AB 32,
a state-mandated plan to achieve reductions in greenhouse gas emissions
by 2020. The mandate goes into effect on January 1, 2012.
Located in Coalinga, California, Granite's new 1 MW solar power plant is
its largest net metering system constructed to date. Built using
innovative technologies from Solar Frontier, eIQ Energy, Siemens, and
Unirac, the 8-acre system comprises one of the most advanced thin-film
net metering projects in the country today. Combined, the copper,
indium, and selenium (CIS) thin-film solar panels, power management
processes, and inverter controls are expected to reduce operational
expenditures and increase overall efficiency.
"This Granite facility is a great example of how companies can
incorporate renewable energy for operational needs and reduce their
dependence on traditional energy sources," said Greg Ashley, vice
president and chief operations officer of Solar Frontier.
To date, Granite has built several net metering facilities in the West,
including a 318-kilowatt (kW) system in Indio, California, and a 159 kW
system in Tucson, Arizona. In addition, the University of Arizona
commissioned Granite to build a 2 MW system at its Solar Technology
Park. These projects provide Granite with valuable experience as a
constructor of renewable-energy facilities as well as a developer and an
ultimate end user.
About Granite
Granite Construction Incorporated is a member of the S&P 400 Midcap
Index, the FTSE KLD 400 Social Index, and the Russell 2000 Index.
Granite Construction Company, a wholly owned subsidiary, is one of the
nation's largest diversified heavy civil contractors and construction
materials producers. Granite Construction Company serves public- and
private-sector clients through its offices and subsidiaries nationwide.
In 2011 the company received the World's Most Ethical Companies
designation from the Ethisphere Institute. For more information about
Granite, please visit its website at www.graniteconstruction.com.
About Solar Frontier
Solar Frontier's mission is to create the most economical, ecological
solar energy solutions on Earth—on the world's largest scale. Its
proprietary CIS technology (for key ingredients copper, indium, and
selenium) combines compelling economics and energy conversion efficiency
today—and greater potential for tomorrow—with superior reliability,
stability, sustainability, nontoxicity, design, and lower overall energy
consumption in the manufacturing process to yield a faster energy
payback time. Visit Solar Frontier's website at www.solar-frontier.com
for more information.
Granite Construction Incorporated
Media Contact
Cara Douglas,
831-254-0494
Source: Granite Construction Company
News Provided by Acquire Media
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