SunPower opens 1.1MW Bakersfield College campus system

December 8, 2010
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email

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.”

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Try Premium for just $1

  • Full premium access for the first month at only $1
  • Converts to an annual rate after 30 days unless cancelled
  • Cancel anytime during the trial period

Premium Benefits

  • Expert industry analysis and interviews
  • Digital access to PV Tech Power journal
  • Exclusive event discounts

Or get the full Premium subscription right away

Or continue reading this article for free

“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.”

Read Next

November 14, 2025
Spain-based developer Acciona Energia will add a gigawatt-hour-scale battery energy storage system (BESS) at its 238MWp Malgarida solar PV plant in Chile.
November 14, 2025
Lightsource bp has started construction on its 330MWp Valle 3 and 4 project in Wamba, Valladolid, in the Castilla y Leon region of Spain. 
November 14, 2025
Developer rPlus Energies has acquired two solar and storage projects with the total capacity of 900MW in Ada County, Idaho.
November 14, 2025
International solar manufacturer Canadian Solar has posted stable financials in Q3 2025, as its solar module and battery energy storage system (BESS) sales shift.
November 14, 2025
NSW has removed regulatory barriers that previously prevented owners of heritage-listed properties from installing rooftop solar.
November 13, 2025
QIC and EDP Renewables Australia have signed an agreement to develop a 400MWac solar-plus-storage project in Toowoomba, Queensland.

Upcoming Events

Solar Media Events
November 25, 2025
Warsaw, Poland
Solar Media Events
December 2, 2025
Málaga, Spain
Solar Media Events
February 3, 2026
London, UK
Solar Media Events
March 24, 2026
Lisbon, Portugal
Solar Media Events
June 16, 2026
Napa, USA