Solar Power Partners, Inc. (Solar Power Partners) has started operations of its solar systems on University of California (UOC) campuses. The solar systems include an 878.22 kilowatt (kW) total system at the UOC at San Diego in San Diego, California; a 357.32 kW system at Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego, California; and a 238.68 kW system at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) in Pasadena, California.
Each solar facility was financed and developed using a solar power purchase agreement (PPA), which allows Solar Power Partners to own, operate, and manage the solar system for the length of the agreement, and sell back the power to the university. The universities pay only for the energy produced by the system and put no cash upfront, freeing capital for other projects and stabilizing their energy rates. Solar Power Partners manages each facility through its dedicated asset management team, which uses real-time data monitoring to provide detailed management profiles for the systems.
In addition to the solar PPA, Solar Power Partners provided technology, design, and engineering project oversight to the projects. In-house expertise in engineering, construction, and asset management ensures long-term success of the project. Detailed, best-practice financial modeling provided the best possible rates so that each university sees long-term savings.
The UOC San Diego solar arrays are installed on the rooftop of the student Price Center and on the Gilman Parking structure. The project fit perfectly into the university’s green program, providing much needed-alternative energy to their green goal tally. The solar system also contributed towards the recent Climate Action Registry Climate Action Leader status for the university.
Point Loma Nazarene University (PLNU), a picturesque private university on the coast of California, has a fixed rooftop solar system totaling 357 kW. Solar Power Partners partnered with SPG Solar, Inc to design, engineer, and install the system. SPG Solar worked closely with the university staff to ensure the university’s renewable energy goals were achieved and their solar project was installed with minimal impact on campus activities. The system produces an estimated 704,980 kWh annually, which is equivalent to 506 metric tons of carbon dioxide offset. PNLU has won a 2008 Orchid Award for sustainability by a non-profit and a 2009 SANDEE Award for the system, which will be awarded to the university on March 26.
The Caltech solar system features a 238.68 kW sized system on the Holliston parking garage, covering more than half of the top level. The system’s estimated annual production output is equivalent to eliminating 527,000 pounds of CO2 emissions from the air, removing 46 cars from operation, planting 72 acres of trees, or powering 38 average homes annually. Solar Power Partners’s 15-year partnership with Caltech means that they are part of the Institute’s plans to reduce its impact on the environment and dependence on non-renewable energy.
Solar Power Partners will be speaking about their university projects at the Solar Power Finance and Investment Summit, March 25-27, 2009, at the Westin San Diego, in San Diego, California.
“Solar Power Partners’s experience making solar power attainable for schools and universities makes for a great long-term partnership,” said Bill Irwin, senior director of facility management at Caltech. “This economic means of gaining solar energy for the campus is part of Caltech’s focus on sustainability and renewable energy. It saves money, fosters awareness, reduces the Institute’s environmental impact, and provides environment stewardship.
“Solar Power Partners is pleased to deliver solar energy in a financially viable way to schools and universities. Each project incorporated local labor, which is our policy. As one of the top three PPA providers in the US, we’re making an impact in the university sector and we’re proud to be a part of the green campus initiatives,” said Alexander v. Welczeck, president and chief executive officer, Solar Power Partners.
As noted by Gary C. Matthews, vice chancellor, resource management and planning at UOC San Diego, “Solar Power Partners’s simple solar Power Purchase Agreement process and large portfolio of completed projects contributed to a strong, successful partnership.”