Ruppert constructs solar farm

Ruppert Landscape is currently constructing the largest non-institutional ground-mounted solar farm in the region (Maryland, Washington D.C. and Virginia) at its corporate headquarters in Laytonsville, Md. The panels will produce more than 300,000 kilo-Watts annually, which will completely offset Ruppert’s electrical demand at its corporate campus in Laytonsville, MD. The project will cost a little more than $1 million dollars and is expected to pay for itself in less than seven years.

The system, purchased from Solar City, consists of 988 solar panels, which have a surface area of 1/3 acre. The panels are configured into groups of 19 and mounted into metal framed racks supported by posts that are driven into the ground.

This solar project is the latest step in Ruppert’s ongoing environmental commitment. The company has maintained a hybrid vehicle fleet since 2007, which now includes more than 27 vehicles and continues to grow. In the past two years, two of the company’s branches have retrofitted all existing and interior lighting with more energy efficient lamps and ballasts, a project that is expected to pay for itself in less than two years. And water reclamation systems are being used at several facilities for landscape irrigation, which is expected to pay for itself in three years.

In addition, Ruppert’s corporate campus is registered with the U.S. Green Building Council LEED NC program for certification at the silver and gold levels. The campus was recognized in 2009 with an Award of Excellence for Best Suburban Office:  1-4 Stories by the Maryland/DC Chapter of the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties (NAIOP), in a large part, for its effectiveness in incorporating LEED strategies into the design and construction.

In an effort to support and further educate customers who are continuing to express a great interest in “green” practices and site sustainability initiatives, Ruppert has developed the “Green Smart Card.” This tool was created to highlight what is routinely being done by Ruppert on customers’ sites and in what ways a heightened level of sustainability can be reached while looking at property management practices related to water management, mowing, mulching, pruning and insect and disease management.

 “Our goal, as a company, is to help reduce our global footprint and do our part to positively impact our global environment,” said Craig Ruppert, CEO. “But the effects have been more far more reaching. Our employees tell us they are proud to be associated with an organization that is being proactive with sustainability initiatives and in creating a healthier, greener work environment for them. Our customers are pleased to have us sharing our knowledge gained about environmental stewardship both through our work as a contractor and as a developer of a LEED facility. In many ways, the projects we’ve undertaken have paid off in ways we could have never anticipated.”