Rockville, Maryland Ice Arena Getting Ready To Tap the Sun to Freeze Its Ice

ROCKVILLE, Md., April 20 /PRNewswire/ -- The 40th anniversary of Earth Day this Thursday finds one of the largest solar electric systems in Maryland nearing completion atop a popular recreational destination for Maryland families: the Rockville Ice Arena.

The Rockville Ice Arena is poised in the coming weeks to start generating some of its own electricity when its owner, The Maven Group, flips the switch on its 701-kilowatt photovoltaic (PV) system installed by Standard Solar, Inc. The system will help control the Ice Arena's electricity costs and ensure the ice rink's future as a training ground for aspiring hockey stars.

"As our own Washington Capitals begin their march toward their first-ever Stanley Cup, it's especially fitting that the Rockville Ice Arena and the resident Montgomery Youth Hockey Association now are better equipped financially to continue training home-grown talent," said Stuart Schooler, Managing Member, The Maven Group of Bethesda, Maryland.

"We commend The Maven Group for seeing the light about how solar helps their business run more profitably, how it empowers them to do more for youth hockey in Montgomery County and how they are helping our state reduce its heavy dependence on coal to generate electricity," said Scott Wiater, President of Standard Solar.

The system is projected to meet about 30% of the Arena's annual electricity needs and will reduce carbon dioxide (CO2)-equivalent emissions by about 757 tons each year. The electricity generated by the Arena's solar system is enough to power approximately 72 average-sized American homes for a year.

For every 1,000 kilowatt hours (or one megawatt hour) of electricity generated by the system, The Maven Group will earn one Solar Renewable Energy Credit that under Maryland law it can currently sell in the open market for about $360 and are integral to financing many solar projects. Utilities in Maryland are required to buy these Credits as part of the state's goal of generating electricity from renewable sources. The Arena's solar system is expected to generate about 865 Solar Renewable Energy Credits every 12 months.

The Rockville Blades ice rink will include a computer kiosk where visitors can view how much electricity the solar panel system is producing at any given time or review historical performance. The system data also will be available via a password-protected web portal.

Click here to see photos of the completed solar arrays. And click here to see a brief video featuring Stuart Schooler explaining why The Maven Group chose to go solar at the Rockville Ice Arena.

Installation of the solar system at the Ice Arena served as the stage for leaders of the Montgomery County Green Economy Task Force to deliver their recommendations to County Executive Isiah Leggett on March 25. Leggett said the recommendations will help the County "move forward so that every segment of our population has an opportunity to thrive in the new green economy." For more information about how the Ice Arena fits into the County's strategy, click here for a photo and here for more information.

About the Maven Group

The Maven Group and its affiliates, first founded in 1995 by Warren Teitelbaum and Stuart Schooler possesses in house development expertise in due diligence, underwriting, land use planning and zoning, comprehensive construction management, environmental risk management, structured finance [for real estate and renewalable energy systems] and leasing. The company has developed and owns shopping centers, multi-family and mixed use projects as large as 227,000 square feet.

About Standard Solar

Standard Solar is a full-service developer, integrator and installer of solar electric systems for academic, commercial, government and residential customers throughout Maryland, the District of Columbia, Virginia, Delaware, Pennsylvania, and North Carolina. For more information, please visit www.StandardSolar.com.

SOURCE Standard Solar