Evergreen Valley College, Gilbane Co., a full-service construction company, and SunPower Corp. (NASDAQ: SPWR), announced the groundbreaking of a 1.5-megawatt, ground-mounted solar power project at the Evergreen Valley College campus, located in San Jose, Calif. The high-efficiency solar system will generate approximately one-third of Evergreen Valley College's electricity demand annually.
"At Evergreen Valley College, while we continue to provide a quality, comprehensive education to a new generation, we are also mindful of our global responsibilities and opportunities. These responsibilities and opportunities include conservation, sustainability, reducing our carbon footprint and adopting green technology. As an educational institution, we have the unique opportunity to incorporate these responsibilities into our Facilities Master Plan, as we plan for the future," stated Henry Yong, Evergreen Valley College president.
The ground-mounted solar system features the SunPower™ T0 Tracker and is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2012. The Tracker will utilize approximately 4,816 high-efficiency SunPower™ E 19 / 320 Solar Panels that generate up to 50 percent more energy than a similarly-sized system with conventional solar panels.
"SunPower has been working extensively with K-12 schools, community colleges and universities across California to install high efficiency, high reliability solar power solutions which provide significant ongoing savings while delivering clean energy," said SunPower Managing Director Bill Kelly. "Once installed, Evergreen Valley College will realize greater return on their SunPower solar investment while reducing long-term operational costs."