The Rancho California Water District (RCWD) and solar cells manufacturer SunPower have completed a 1.1MW solar power system at the district’s water treatment facility in Murrieta, California.
According to SunPower, the system produces a portion of the facilities’ electricity requirements, and is expected to save the district up to $6.8 million in electricity costs over the next 20 years.
In addition to designing and building the solar power system, SunPower also financed the system under a SunPower access power purchase agreement (PPA).
It said that RCWD will buy electricity from SunPower at rates competitively priced against utility rates, providing the district with a long-term hedge against rising peak power prices. RCWD owns the renewable energy credits associated with the system.
For the district, SunPower installed a system that utilizes solar panels with the SunPower Tracker system, which follows the sun’s movement during the day, increasing sunlight capture by up to 30% over conventional fixed-tilt systems, while significantly reducing land use requirements. The system will reduce more than 2.5 million pounds of CO2 emissions annually, said the company.
SunPower designs, manufactures and delivers solar electric systems for residential, commercial and utility-scale power plant customers. The company claims that its high-efficiency solar cells and solar panels generate up to 50 percent more power than conventional solar technologies. With headquarters in San Jose, Calif., SunPower has offices in North America, Europe, Australia and Asia.
