SunPower opens 1.1MW Bakersfield College campus system

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SunPower and Kern Community College District have opened a 1.1MW solar power system at Bakersfield College. The system, which will supply one-third of the college’s electricity, took five months to build and features a 3.1-acre parking lot canopy structure with nearly 3,700 PV panels.

“It makes sense to use the clean, renewable resource of the sun to power our schools sustainably,” said Dr. Greg Chamberlain, president of Bakersfield College. “The high-efficiency technology installed on our site is maximizing the amount of sunlight that is converted to electricity for our operations and the cost savings that we will achieve as a result. SunPower’s experience working with educational facilities across the state gave us confidence that they would understand and meet our special requirements.”

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“Community college and school districts in California are seizing the opportunity to help the state meet its growing energy demand and renewable energy goals,” said Jim Pape, president of SunPower’s residential and commercial business group. “Bakersfield College understands the significant return on investment that SunPower systems deliver, and the added value of working with an experienced partner.”

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