One of the largest solar photovoltaic (PV) arrays in Western North Carolina has just been installed on a rooftop in Biltmore Park Town Square. Owned and operated by Asheville-based FLS Energy, the array is atop the multiuse building at 28 Schenck Parkway across from REI and O.P. Taylor’s Toy Store.

Expected to be online this month, the solar PV array will generate an estimated 84,000 kilowatt-hours every year which is roughly equal to the energy demand of six average homes in North Carolina. It will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 60 tons per year (the equivalent to removing 12 vehicles a year from the highways).

“We are glad to provide a key ingredient for increasing solar electricity usage,” says Paul Szurek, chief financial officer of Biltmore Farms, LLC. “It helps conserve land by making a rooftop available for solar energy. It is an important step towards both reduced carbon and wise land use.”

The project is FLS Energy’s second rooftop solar project with Biltmore Farms. Last year, the company installed a solar water heating system on top of the Hilton Asheville.

“We are honored to work with Biltmore Farms again,” said Michael Shore, chief executive officer of FLS Energy. “They are a leader in solar energy and green development in Western North Carolina.”

The Biltmore Park solar PV array is made possible by Progress Energy Carolinas’ SunSense Commercial Solar PV program, which is designed to encourage the development of renewable energy by offering a premium price for solar power developed on commercial rooftops. Including small-scale projects, Progress Energy has contracts for a total of more than 11,000 kilowatts of solar power generating capacity.