by Shane Henson — August 12, 2013—Yuba County, located in California’s Central Valley, has leveraged Chevron Energy Solutions’ energy management and renewable energy expertise to develop the county’s first solar power installation as part of an extensive energy overhaul. The company was selected by the county to design and build the solar project, and will maintain and guarantee its performance and production for 20 years.
The recently completed solar installation is expected to generate more than 1 megawatt of electricity at two sites and, together with a set of energy efficiency measures, reduce the county’s annual energy purchases by 50 percent. The project’s energy efficiency improvements include lighting at 10 county buildings, and heating, air conditioning and ventilation (HVAC) upgrades. Water retrofits are expected to reduce Yuba County’s water use by close to 35 percent. Overall, the project is expected to save the county more than half a million dollars in its first year and almost $16 million over its life, says Chevron Energy Solutions, which has overseen similar large-scale projects in the past.
“Yuba County was already dealing with the challenges of the economic downturn, when it became necessary to confront long overdue repairs to some of our public buildings,” said Yuba County Board of Supervisors Chairman Andy Vasquez. “We were able to partner with Chevron Energy Solutions to install energy-saving technology and leverage the future savings to immediately make much-needed repairs to our facilities.”
Chevron Energy Solutions is one of the largest installers of solar power in the U.S. public sector and has developed hundreds of projects to develop and build renewable energy, increase energy efficiency, reduce energy costs and support sustainability. Its parent, Chevron Corporation, invests across the energy spectrum to develop energy sources for future generations by expanding the capabilities of alternative and renewable energy technologies.
“We have been proud to work with Yuba County on this project that has, in a fiscally responsible way, both upgraded aging facilities and saved significant financial resources for critical county services,” said Jim Davis, president of Chevron Energy Solutions.
