The Department of Veteran’s Affairs (VA) recently awarded SunWize Systems, the installation group of SunWize Technologies, Inc., the nation’s largest solar carport installation at their Phoenix Medical Center, in Phoenix, Arizona.

The installation of the photovoltaic panels will be equipped to handle roughly 3 megawatts of clean energy for the complex.

“The completed install is expected to generate over 5.7 million kilowatt-hours of clean energy annually—enough electricity to power over 600 homes,” said Matt Ziskin, director of marketing at SunWize. “This reduction in energy demand from the electric grid is equivalent to a yearly reduction of over 7.6 million pounds of CO2 emissions.”

The project, awarded on Oct. 12, 2010, is on a fast track to be up and running.

“The initial phase is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2011, while the schedule for the second phase is not currently finalized with the VA, but it is anticipated that it will be completed by the end of 2011,” said Ziskin.

While this is the largest installation in the United States of photovoltaics on a parking structure to date, Ziskin speculates that additional projects that use parking space more efficiently will occur in the future.

“There are new solar projects being announced frequently, but we have not heard of any solar carport projects in the works that match the scale of the Phoenix VA Medical Center project,” Ziskin said. “While we are excited to have the largest project to date, we hope that this will serve to inspire others to help realize the potential to turn parking lots into green power plants.”

SunWize is working with various industry sectors, installing similar solar energy projects and promoting clean energy, Ziskin said.

“SunWize currently has a number of similar projects in the works for VA Medical Centers across the country, as well as additional sites for the National Park Service, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the U.S Military, as well as private industry,” Ziskin said.

Pictured: SunWize installers set up a solar module. Image courtesy of SunWize