SunPower teamed up with the Rancho California Water District (RCWD) for the development and construction of a 1.1-MW solar power system at the district’s water treatment facility in Murrieta, which has now reached completion. The plant, which uses SunPower’s Tracker system, was designed, built and financed by SunPower under a SunPower Access power purchase agreement (PPA).
RCWD will purchase the generated power from SunPower to meet a portion of the water facility’s requirements, and is expected to save the district up to $6.8 million in energy costs over the next 20 years. RCWD will own the renewable energy credits that come with the system.
“Solar makes good financial sense today for California’s water agencies. There is financing available through power purchase agreements such as SunPower Access, and there are also financial incentives for solar projects available from state and federal governments,” said Tom Werner, SunPower CEO. “We applaud the district for hosting this showcase installation that demonstrates both good environmental and fiscal stewardship.”