by Shane Henson — March 4, 2013—SunPower has positioned Sweetwater Union High School District (SUHSD) in Southern California to operate more sustainably and reduce energy costs through the recent installation of 3.3 megawatts of solar power systems at six district schools.
At the six schools, located within San Diego and other neighboring cities, SunPower installed solar shade structures in school parking lots, taking advantage of underutilized space and providing needed shade. The systems use high-efficiency SunPower solar panels, the most efficient panels on the market today, claims SunPower.
The district’s six operational solar systems are financed through a power purchase agreement with SunPower. Under terms of the agreements, Wells Fargo owns the systems that SunPower designs, builds, operates and maintains. The district is buying the electricity at rates that are competitive with retail electricity, minimizing the effect of rising electricity costs with no capital investment. The district owns the renewable energy credits associated with the systems, says SunPower.
SunPower says that according to estimates provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the currently operating SUHSD solar power systems will avoid production of more than 2,600 tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually, the equivalent of removing more than 10,000 cars from California’s roads over the next 20 years.
