Solar Power Partners lights up San Diego

MILL VALLEY, CALIFORNIA - Solar Power Partners, Inc. (SPPTM) announced that its recently completed solar systems in the San Diego area are in operation and generating power. The solar systems include an 878.22 kW total system at the University of California at San Diego, a 357.32 kW system at Point Loma Nazarene University, and a 1.1 MW system at the Valley Center Water District.

Each solar facility was financed and developed using a solar Power Purchase Agreement (PPA), which allows SPP to own, operate, and manage the solar system for the length of the agreement, usually over twenty years. The host sites pay only for the energy produced by the system and put no cash upfront, freeing capital for other projects and stabilizing their energy rates. SPP manages each facility through its dedicated asset management team, which uses real-time data monitoring to provide detailed management profiles for the systems.

“SPP’s simple solar Power Purchase Agreement process and large portfolio of completed projects contributed to a strong, successful partnership. We’re pleased to work with SPP for the next twenty years and delighted to add solar energy to our alternative energy program at UC San Diego,” said Gary C. Matthews, Vice Chancellor, Resource Management and Planning at UC San Diego.

SPP takes a close interest in the technology, design, and engineering of the projects. Their in-house engineering, construction management, and asset management teams bring years of experience to each project so that design challenges are met head on and resolved and all phases of the project are managed. Their financial modeling incorporates detailed site profiles and offers the best possible rates for the customer.

The UC San Diego facility, divided into two installations: rooftop and raised fixed parking structure. Solar Power Partners, an expert in working with schools and universities to accomplish their solar goals, modeled financial plans for the university to create a flexible, viable solar PPA. The project fit perfectly into the universityÂ’s green program, providing much needed-alternative energy to their green goal tally. The solar arrays are installed on the rooftop of the student Price Center and on the Gilman Parking structure, which is located at one of the busiest campus entrances. The solar system contributed towards the recent Climate Action Registry "Climate Action Leader" status for the university.

Point Loma Nazarene University (PLNU), on a stretch of gorgeous coastline, boasts a fixed rooftop system totaling 357 kW. PLNU is creating a renewable energy curriculum and the solar energy facility is an important part of their green outreach program. The system produces an estimated 704,980 kWh annually, which is equivalent to 506 metric tons of carbon dioxide offset.

Valley Center Water District is a 1.1 MW single-axis tracker spread of panels nestled amongst the hills. The system takes advantage of otherwise unused land and is composed of single-axis trackers, which produces a 20% increase in energy production compared with a fixed tilt system. The system produced an estimated annual output of 2,101,876 kWh, which offsets 1,509 metric tons of carbon dioxide offset, or 171,283 consumed gallons of gas.