Every week or so seems to bring news of another solar installation in Maryland. The latest is a big one, and it's in a place that hasn't seen that much sun power yet - Baltimore city.

Chimes International, which provides job training and other services for people with disabilities, has blanketed a chunk of its 12-acre campus in northwest Baltimore with 3,000 solar panels, said to be the largest in the city.  The system, which features an unusual mix of ground-mounted and three rooftop arrays, is capable of generating up to 670 kilowatts - enough, according to Chimes, to furnish 60 to 70 percent of the nonprofit's electricity.

Washington Gas Energy Service, based in Herndon, VA will own and operate the system, which was designed and built by BITHENERGY, a Baltimore-based energy services firm.  Chimes inked a 20-year contract to buy the sun-generated power.

As if that wasn't enough, the installation includes independent solar powered outdoor lighting and an electric-vehicle charging station.  It isn't the first green project Chimes has undertaken either - its executives say through they've been able to trim $80,000 a year in energy costs at their locations in Maryland, the mid-Atlantic and Israel by weatherizing buildings, installing energy-efficient lighting and appliances and instilling conservation practices among employees.

(Photo by Corey Culbreath for BITHENERGY courtesy of Chimes)