Gov. Bill Ritter flipped the switch Wednesday on one of the largest solar parking structures in the country.
The 1.75-megawatt solar-power system was built on three parking garages at Belmar, a mixed-use project in Lakewood developed by Continuum Partners.
Designed and installed by San Jose, Calif.-based SunPower Corp., the system uses more than 8,000 solar panels. Other partners in the project include MMA Renewable Ventures and Denver-based Oak Leaf Energy Partners, a project-development and consulting firm for renewable-energy transactions.
John Hereford, head of Oak Leaf, praised Ritter and Continuum principal Mark Falcone for their vision in the renewable-energy arena.
“There are a lot of developers out there who talk about sustainability, but Mark lives it and breathes it,” Hereford said. “Gov. Ritter makes it his business to know more about renewable energy than any other governor in the country.”
Margaret Jackson: 303-954-1473 or mjackson@denverpost.com
