MWH Honored by American Council of Engineering Companies
Broomfield, Colo., February 9, 2010 – MWH, the global wet infrastructure sector leader and provider of environmental engineering, construction and strategic consulting services, has been awarded an Engineering Excellence Merit Award from the California Section of the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) for the 1-megawatt Solar Power Generation Facility project at the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California’s (MWD’s) Robert A. Skinner Water Treatment Plant. The award recognizes the overall engineering excellence of the MWH-designed solar system that supplements a portion of off-the-grid energy consumption with renewable energy.
“MWH is extremely honored to have our work recognized by the California Section of ACEC,” says Robyn McGuckin, Director of Resource Efficiency Management. “Moreover, we are pleased to have helped the Metropolitan Water District reduce its energy costs by implementing sustainable energy sources.”
As the largest provider of treated drinking water in the U.S., distributing 1.5 billion gallons of treated water per day, MWD’s distribution system requires a tremendous amount of power to operate. In 2007, MWD’s energy costs totaled more than $243 million, consuming 7.38 million megawatt-hours overall. The new Solar Power Generation Facility helps offset energy usage and costs, providing multiple benefits including:
Economic Benefits
- The project will receive over $5 million in rebates over a five year period, covering 50 percent of the $10 million project cost
- The payback period is estimated to be six to eight years
- MWD saw a 25 percent reduction in energy costs at the Skinner Water Treatment Plant in the first summer of operation
Social Benefits
- The system will generate 2.4 million kilowatt-hours of clean renewable energy per year, enough to power approximately 250 homes annually
- The system will offset nearly two million pounds of carbon emissions per year, the equivalent of taking 600 automobiles off the road
Sustainable Benefits
- The solar panels are guaranteed by the manufacturer for 25 years and are expected to generate clean renewable energy long after this period
- The solar system generates clean energy with very little maintenance and will essentially operate as a source of free energy after the six to eight year payback period
About ACEC Engineering Excellence Awards
The ACEC Engineering Excellence Awards competition recognizes engineering firms for projects that demonstrate a high degree of innovation, achievement and value. Projects are rated on the basis of uniqueness and originality; future value to the engineering profession and perception by the public; social, economic and sustainable development considerations; complexity and successful fulfillment of client/owner’s needs, including schedule and budget.
About the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California
As the nation’s largest provider of treated drinking water, MWD serves a six-county area, which encompasses 5,200 square miles in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego and Ventura counties. Its vast regional distribution system includes hundreds of miles of pipelines, power transmission lines, five water treatment plants, nine large reservoirs, 16 hydroelectric plants, 45 pressure control structures and thousands of pumps and valves.