South Carolina's largest solar tracker will be presented during an event held by IMO on Tuesday, December 14th, from 3:30 until 7:00 pm. It follows the South Carolina Solar Council's meeting from 1:00 to 3:00 pm, and is an acknowledgment of renewable energy's increasing presence in South Carolina. The event is also a celebration of IMO's recent solar installations; five solar-powered LED street lamps and the dual-axis solar tracker, which has a 1,600 ft² solar module surface and a significant performance rating of 22.5 kW.

The tracker will be used to power IMO manufacturing operations and utilizes IMO's dual-axis technology to trace both the sun's azimuth and latitude. This increases efficiency by 30% and enables the tracker to generate 42,000 kWh annually. Equal to the amount of energy created by burning 34,000 lbs. of coal, the solar energy produced will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 87,000 lbs. each year. The consequent effect on the environment is equal to driving 106,000 less miles every year, or planting 6,700 more trees.

In addition to the tracker, the event will feature experts and public officials, including Senator Paul Campbell, from 3:30 to 4:30 pm. They will speak about renewable energy, economic development, job creation, the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC), and Palmetto Clean Energy (PaCE). Afterwards there will be plenty of networking opportunities, and IMO will provide bratwurst, wine, German beer, and other food and beverages.

Venue:
IMO USA Corporation: 101 Innovation Drive, McQueen Park, Summerville, SC 29483 (Exit 194 off of I-26; go West on Jedburg Rd., McQueen Park is on the left)