California State University, Fullerton (CSUF) and SunPower jointly announced the construction on a 4MW solar power projects at three parking areas in the campus. CSUF will purchase solar electricity generated from the systems at competitive rates, potentially saving millions in electricity costs over the next 20 years.
The project, which is now under construction, was announced at the 15th Annual California Higher Education Sustainability Conference (CHESC) underway this week at CSUF. SunPower is building two solar carports and one solar parking lot for CSUF, and will install the company’s high efficiency solar panels with Cradle to Cradle Certified™ Silver designation.
CSUF will purchase all electricity generated from the solar project under a PPA that offers competitive rates. The clean electricity generation is expected to offset over one-third of the university’s peak electrical load as well. CSUF will own the renewable energy credits associated with the systems after the completion and commercial operation.
"With the cost-competitive solar power generated by our SunPower systems, the university will control electricity costs and reduce our carbon footprint," said Willem van der Pol, interim associate vice president for facilities management at CSUF. "CSUF has supported sustainability in our operations for more than two decades, and we are proud to support the long-term health of our students, staff and community by increasing our reliance on solar power."
CSUF, installing its first 1MW solar power system in 2012, has been devoted into sustainable practices for over 20 years. The campus has LEED-certified buildings and high-efficiency lighting, and will have 5MW of solar generation systems in the future.