Inland Empire Utilities Agency (IEUA) and SunPower Corporation (SunPower) have announced the completion of a 3.5 megawatt (MW) solar power installation at four IEUA facilities in Chino, Ontario and Rancho Cucamonga, California. With this installation, IEUA anticipates to save a half million dollars per annum in electricity costs. The project has been financed through Morgan Stanley under the SunPower Access power purchase agreement program.
IEUA is purchasing power generated from the system from the financier. Morgan Stanley owns and operates the solar system. As a result, IEUACA will benefit from savings and a long-term hedge against increasing peak power prices. IEUA owns the renewable energy credits associated with the solar system.
The highlight of the system is a 1MW SunPower T20 Tracker system situated just behind the IEUA’s Chino headquarters. Solar panels are mounted on the patented single-axis Trackers at 20 degrees of tilt. The T20 Trackers follow the path of the sun throughout the day, generating around 30% more energy than conventional fixed-tilt solar power systems. This maximizes the total amount of energy, which can be delivered within the available space.
Around five miles away at IEUA’s Regional Plant 1 in Ontario, a 700 kilowatt (kW) array of SunPower Trackers has been installed alongside a 137 kW SunPower T10 Solar Tile system on top of a capped reservoir. The modular T10 Solar Tiles are self-ballasted (non-penetrating to the surface), tilted at a 10-degree angle to increase energy capture, and designed to flexibly adapt to the size and requirements of select ground sites or virtually any flat rooftop.
T10 Solar Tiles have been installed at two more locations – a 624 kW array at the IEUA’s Carbon Canyon Treatment Plant in Chino, and a 1 MW system atop the Inland Empire Regional Composting Authority (IERCA) located in Rancho Cucamonga, California. The IERCA array has been constructed in collaboartion with the Los Angeles County Sanitation District through a joint power agreement.
Using conversion formulas provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the 3.5 MW SunPower system will avoid over 7.7 million pounds of carbon dioxide emissions per annum, similar to removing over 19,000 cars from the road over the expected 30 year life of the system.
With the completion of this new system, IEUA is now producing nearly half of its electricity from alternative energy sources, said Patrick Shields, executive manager of operations at the IEUA. SunPower provided high-efficiency technology to ensure we are maximizing the energy produced on site, and completed the installation in just five months. The solar system furthers our commitment to sustainable practices, and is a source of pride in the community.