03/07/17  Ouachita Electric To Build 1-megawatt Solar Array At Holly Springs

The project will be completed in the second quarter of this year and will involve an array of about 4,080 panels that will encompass about 5.5 acres of a 10-acre site. The output of the energy produced by the array could provide for the power needs of up to 250 homes.

The community solar facility will provide Ouachita Electric Cooperative (OEC) members with the opportunity to purchase solar power generated from the facility and receive credit on their individual electric bills. OEC provides electric service to approximately 9,400 meters across Ouachita, Calhoun, Dallas, Bradley and Nevada counties.

“We are proud to be a part of Ouachita Electric’s commitment to be the leader in offering affordable, safe and responsible energy to its members,” said Chris Burnley, director of business development for Today's Power Incorporated (TPI).  

This is the second project that OEC and TPI have developed as the result of their partnership. A 93-kilowatt solar array was designed and built in 2016 to power the cooperative’s Camden headquarters, operations center and campus. Since going online in February of 2016, 95 percent of the electric power needed for the cooperative’s Camden facilities has been provided by the solar array.  

“Our solar systems are customized around a cooperative’s wholesale billing drivers and load characteristics specifically to produce maximum value for the cooperative,” said Michael Henderson, president of TPI.

According to Ouachita Electric Cooperative CEO Mark Cayce, the cooperative chose the TPI product because of its safety attributes, the unique architecture of the solar panels and the reliability that has been demonstrated over the last year to meet the cooperative’s energy needs. 

“Partnering with local industries to bring the first utility scale solar to Arkansas, demonstrating on our own office the feasibility and affordability of using solar power in South Arkansas, making community solar available to our members is just part of providing more value to being a cooperative member,” he said.

Today’s Power, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Arkansas Electric Cooperatives, Inc. (AECI), a Little Rock-based utility service cooperative owned by 17 Arkansas electric distribution cooperatives. Today’s Power, Inc. is an authorized distributor and installer for TKS photovoltaic systems.