SunPower to install 5-MW solar system for California uni

The University of California, Merced (UC Merced) has selected US solar company SunPower Corp (NASDAQ:SPWR) for the installation of a 5-MW solar system.

The carport-and-rooftop solar installation will be complemented by a 500-kW energy storage system from Stem, SunPower said today. They will be financed by a power purchase agreement (PPA).

The solar system will add to a 1-MW SunPower project, a ground-mounted tracker system, that has been in operation at UC Merced since 2009. Together the two systems are expected to supply over 50% of the campus' energy consumption. UC Merced will own the renewable energy credits (RECs) associated with the new solar array.

The new project is in support of UC Merced's triple zero commitment, including targets for zero net energy use, zero net landfill waste and climate neutrality on campus by 2020. UC Merced, the newest campus in the University of California system, plans to nearly double its physical capacity by the same year.

Choose your newsletter by Renewables Now. Join for free!