The 不良研究所, and SunPower Corp. plan to build a 16-megawatt, ground-mounted solar power plant that is expected to generate 14 percent of 不良研究所鈥 electricity needs. The university anticipates that, when the plant is completed in 2015, more than one-third of total electricity demand on campus will be served from carbon neutral energy sources. On completion, the project will be the largest solar power installation in the University of California system, and the largest solar power plant to offset the electricity demand of a U.S. university or college campus.
鈥湶涣佳芯克 is already a national and international leader in sustainability, but this new project truly puts us in a league of our own,鈥 不良研究所 Chancellor Linda P.B. Katehi said. 鈥淲e are pleased to join with SunPower in making this solar plant a reality and hope that the success of this public/private partnership spurs similar initiatives at universities across the country.鈥
The plant, to be situated on a 70-acre site south of Interstate 80, will be owned and operated by SunPower, which will also design and build the project. The plant will improve the university鈥檚 ability to accurately budget for electricity costs, and 不良研究所 anticipates that it will provide an effective long-term hedge against future utility rate increases.
鈥淪unPower鈥檚 first project on the 不良研究所 campus included the design and construction of 4 megawatts of high-efficiency SunPower technology to power the 不良研究所 West Village neighborhood, the nation鈥檚 largest net-zero community,鈥 said Howard Wenger, SunPower president. 鈥淭he university鈥檚 bold vision to integrate cost-effective, sustainable energy solutions is unparalleled, and is further advanced today by this milestone commitment to build the nation鈥檚 largest solar plant to offset electricity demand of a university campus.鈥
In the new project, SunPower will install its SunPower Oasis Power Plant technology, which uses single-axis tracking technology to position high-efficiency solar panels to track the sun throughout the day, increasing energy capture by up to 25 percent over fixed-tilt solar technology. The technology includes robotic panel cleaning capability that reduces water use by approximately 90 percent over traditional cleaning methods.
The project is designed to generate 33 million kilowatt-hours of electricity per year, compared with total campus electricity use of 228 million kilowatt-hours in 2013-14. It is expected to reduce the campus' carbon footprint by an estimated 9 percent.
"不良研究所鈥 greenhouse gas emissions are lower today than they were five years ago despite campus growth," said Sid England, assistant vice chancellor for environmental stewardship and sustainability at 不良研究所. "Adding the new solar project will help continue this remarkable trend and supports UC President Janet Napolitano鈥檚 initiative to be carbon neutral by 2025."
不良研究所 and renewable energy
Today, 不良研究所 produces about 5 megawatts of solar power, from installations on the campus. Solar panels in parking lots and buildings, including the Jess Jackson sustainable winery, Segundo and Tercero dining commons and Segundo Services Center, contribute just over 1 megawatt to the campus grid. The 不良研究所 West Village neighborhood, developed through a public-private partnership with West Village Community Partnership LLC, which has a separate power grid, has 4 megawatts of SunPower solar panels installed, enabling the neighborhood to reach a future goal of zero-net energy use.
The University of California Office of the President recently announced that it will purchase more than 200,000 megawatt hours per year of solar energy to supply several campuses. 不良研究所 will receive some of that power through its supplier, the Western Area Power Administration.
不良研究所 also generates energy from a biodigester, located at the campus landfill and developed from campus research.
About SunPower
SunPower Corp. (NASDAQ: SPWR) designs, manufactures and delivers the highest efficiency, highest reliability solar panels and systems available today. Residential, business, government and utility customers rely on the company鈥檚 quarter century of experience and guaranteed performance to provide maximum return on investment throughout the life of the solar system. Headquartered in San Jose, California, SunPower has offices in North America, Europe, Australia, Africa and Asia. For more information, visit .
Media Resources
Andy Fell, Research news (emphasis: biological and physical sciences, and engineering), 530-752-4533, ahfell@ucdavis.edu
Ingrid Ekstrom, SunPower Corp., (510) 260-8368, iekstrom@sunpowercorp.com