Dec 11 2009
A 929-kilowatt SunPower solar power system was commissioned on the Mendocino College’s Ukiah campus. Financial support for this sustainable clean energy project was provided by Bank of America. The college expects to save $14.9 million during the next 25 years in electricity costs and SunPower’s innovative sun-tracking technology incorporated in this solar power system helps to achieve that over a large extent.
Mike Adams, Director of Facilities Planning, Mendocino College, said that the usage of sustainable and renewable sources for electricity generation for their schools makes sense. He added that the SunPower’s latest sun-tracking technology helps to maximize the amount of sunlight captured thus producing more power in the system, which increases cost savings for the college.
The solar power system was constructed in four months and comprises SunPower solar panels and SunPower Tracker system. The SunPower solar panels are considered to be the most efficient in the world. The tracker system tracks the movement of the sun and enables the system to capture up to 25% more sunlight when compared to the fixed solar power system. This system is not only more efficient but also helps to reduce land use requirements.
Bill Kelly, Managing Director of SunPower, said that universities and colleges are making use of the renewable energy sources to produce power not only to help the government meet its increasing energy demand but also to meet its renewable energy goals. He added that Mendocino College is fully aware of the significant cost savings that SunPower’s solar power system will be able to deliver.
The solar power system installed on Mendocino College will help to reduce more than 55 million pounds of carbon dioxide emissions during the next 30 years. This reduction is equal to removing about 4,500 cars off the California's roads. The college owns all the carbon credits and other benefits associated with the solar power system.
SunPower has installed solar power systems to many institutes including Ohlone College, Napa Valley College, the Los Angeles Community College District, and the Foothill-DeAnza Community College District. It has more than 550 solar systems in operation throughout the world.
Source: www.sunpowercorp.com