by Shane Henson — January 25, 2012—REC Solar, a provider of commercial, residential and government solar electric systems, with AECOM Technology Corporation as the design-builder, recently unveiled a 1.16MW installation at the California State University, Fullerton (CSUF) campus. Administrators at colleges throughout the United States can take notes on how well the installation and systems have worked for the school, should they be interested in also utilizing REC Solar’s services or in installing a similar system.
Combined, the systems will produce 1.6 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity annually—reportedly equivalent to reducing 26,422 tons of greenhouse gas emissions, or eliminating 5,181 passenger vehicles from the road over the next 25 years. As part of the agreement, CSUF will be one of 16 Cal State University sites to host a total of 20 megawatts of solar power throughout the state.
The solar carport system installed atop the Eastside Parking Structure on the southeast corner of campus will provide power to six Coulomb Technologies electric vehicle (EV) charging stations supplied by Charge Harbor. On the forefront of a rapidly growing trend, the solar-powered EV charging carports will provide clean, renewable energy for emissions-free vehicles, highlighting the rapidly growing convergence between the two sustainability movements.
AECOM Technology Corporation, a provider of professional technical services worldwide, was the prime contractor for the solar project and has been working on the CSUF campus for more than five years. According to AECOM officials, they selected solar power installer REC Solar for its substantial experience in constructing solar photovoltaic (PV) systems at government-owned installations.
