Rudolph/Libbe Inc., of Walbridge, OH, will develop, design and build a $7.42 million, 2-megawatt solar array to serve the City of Bryan. The project will be among the first solar energy systems to supply power to an Ohio municipality.

BRYAN, OH -- Rudolph/Libbe Inc., of Walbridge, OH, will develop, design and build a $7.42 million, 2-megawatt solar array to serve the City of Bryan. The project will be among the first solar energy systems to supply power to an Ohio municipality.

Key Government Finance will lease the solar array to the city of Bryan, which will have the option to extend the lease or purchase the system after the initial 10-year lease term expires.

The project will use primarily Ohio materials, contractors and labor:

 Rudolph/Libbe Inc., of Walbridge, also will maintain the system after installation.

 First Solar, of Perrysburg, will supply the 24,000 solar modules.

 Nextronex, of Toledo, will manufacture the inverters.

 API, Inc. of Ridgeville Corners, will provide the racks for the modules.

The project will create about 60 construction jobs and will sustain another 300 manufacturing jobs in Ohio. The solar array will be complete in February 2012.

The solar array will produce 2.666 megawatts per year for the Bryan Municipal electrical infrastructure, representing 1 percent of the power required by the city and significantly reducing the peak load demand for the city. The solar array will be a long-term asset for the City of Bryan, providing stable energy rates, homegrown power and energy independence.

The array will be built on 12 acres owned by the City of Bryan. City officials plan to use the property as a future water supply as well as a power source.

Unique features:

 The system will use the "distributed architecture" approach, in which all inverters are linked to track at maximum efficiency and extend the life of the equipment.

 The solar array will use thin-firm Cadmium/Telluride modules that produce more electricity and allow energy to be harvested for longer periods during daylight hours.