Solar shines at Prestage Foods turkey processing this Thanksgiving season.
St. Pauls, NC
FLS Energy has started construction on a solar thermal farm for Prestage Foods, a 260,000 square foot turkey processing plant based in St. Pauls, NC. The system will provide the poultry processor an estimated 100,000 gallons of hot water per day for use in operations. The Prestage Foods solar thermal farm will be one of the most significant solar projects developed in the nation for use of on-site solar thermal energy.
The solar farm will be constructed in three phases. Each phase will include 700 ground-mounted flat plate solar panels. Phases one and two will be completed this year and the third phase is estimated to be complete in March 2012. The solar thermal system will also include a custom designed pump-house and solar storage system. FLS Energy developed the technology specifically for this project in order to provide hot water to the facility 24 hours a day.
Prestage Foods has made no capital investment in the development of the solar thermal farm. FLS Energy will own the system and sell Prestage the energy it needs to heat water at a lower rate than propane, the company’s current energy source for heating water.
“We are pleased to partner with Prestage Foods as they reduce their dependence on propane and reap the rewards of lower energy costs,” said Brownie Newman, Vice President and Director of Project Finance at FLS Energy. “It’s a win-win for everyone.”
ABOUT FLS ENERGY: FLS Energy is one of the nation’s leading solar thermal developers. Projects range from some of the largest solar hot water systems in the country to solar photovoltaic farms for generating electricity. In 2011, the company was ranked the 46th fastest growing company in the nation by Inc. Magazine, and was named a top 25 “Companies to Watch” in North Carolina by the Council for Entrepreneurial Development.
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