SunPower Corp. (NASDAQ: SPWR) has announced that it has signed a power purchase agreement with Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) for delivery of the 100-megawatt (AC) Henrietta Solar Project in Kings County, Calif. The project is expected to create approximately 200 jobs during construction and inject $72.7 million into the local economy.
"We are very pleased to be working again with PG&E to deliver cost-competitive solar power at a 100 megawatt scale, while creating jobs and economic opportunity for the local community," said Howard Wenger, SunPower president, regions. "SunPower's world-leading high-efficiency technology and history of reliable performance will maximize the solar energy delivered to PG&E's customers over the life of the system."
PG&E estimates that the 100-megawatt project will provide the equivalent power required for approximately 36,000 average California homes.
At the site, SunPower will deploy the SunPower OasisTM power plant, the energy industry's first modular solar power block that provides a cost-effective way to rapidly deploy utility-scale solar. Engineered to optimize use of available land, each SunPower Oasis power block uses high-efficiency, 435-watt SunPower solar panels with the SunPower T0 Tracker, which positions the panels to track the sun during the day, resulting in up to 25 percent more energy capture over fixed-tilt solar power systems. Additional SunPower Oasis features include pre-manufactured cabling to minimize on-site wiring, the Oasis smart inverter control system to enhance grid interoperability, and SunPower's Tracker Monitoring and Control System for wireless control of the power plant.
This contract is contingent on approval by the California Public Utilities Commission and SunPower's ability to complete all applicable permits. It is expected that construction will begin in 2015, with the plant beginning commercial operation by late 2016.