Coronal Energy, powered by Panasonic, an independent power producer (IPP) and provider of turnkey renewable energy solutions, and Pensacola-headquartered energy provider Gulf Power have completed the largest combined portfolio of solar facilities on Department of Defense property to date. The 120MWAC Gulf Coast Solar Center spans 942 acres across three Navy and Air Force sites in Northwest Florida.
The solar facility at NAS Pensacola’s Navy Outlying Landing Field (NOLF) Saufley comprises nearly 600,000 solar photovoltaic (PV) modules that will generate enough energy to power approximately 7,400 homes in Northwest Florida annually. The 3-project portfolio, representing one of the largest combined solar projects east of the Mississippi, also includes 40 MWAC and 30 MWAC facilities at NAS Whiting Field’s NOLF Holley and the Eglin Air Force Base Reservation spanning 336 acres and 240 acres, respectively. In total, the nearly 1.5 million solar panels generate enough energy to power more than 18,000 local homes each year across Escambia, Santa Rosa, and Okaloosa counties.
Combined, the facilities have the potential to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by more than 3.5 million tons over 25 years. This figure equates to removing nearly 670,700 cars from the road for one year.
The facilities are estimated to generate the following amounts of electricity:
- Eglin Air Force Base Reservation: 30 MWAC (or 42 MWDC) plant with approximately 371,000 PV panels, producing enough energy to power nearly 4,500 Okaloosa County homes for a year.
- NAS Pensacola’s NOLF Saufley: 50 MWAC (or 65 MWDC) plant with approximately 600,000 PV panels, producing enough energy to power nearly 7,400 Escambia County homes for a year.
- NAS Whiting Field’s NOLF Holley: 40 MWAC (or 52 MWDC) plant with approximately 475,000 PV panels, producing enough energy to power nearly 6,100 Santa Rosa County homes for a year.
