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College to save $150m generating own solar power

Butte College has been building up its solar generating capacity since 2003, concerned about rising energy prices

A college in Northern California has approved plans to expand its solar generating capacity to produce more energy than it consumes.

Butte College, located in Oroville, north of Sacramento, will install more than 14,000 Mitsubishi Electric solar modules to add 2.7 megawatts of generating capacity.

The project adds to the college’s existing 10,000 Mitsubishi solar panels, and will see its overall generating capacity increasing to 4.55MW (DC).

The new array is expected to produce about 3.5 million kilowatt-hours of clean energy each year, and should be complete by May 2011.

Diana Van Der Ploeg, president of Butte College, said: “Once this solar project is completed, Butte College will provide enough clean renewable energy to cover all of our electricity needs and generate slightly more than we use—which will be a source of additional revenue for the college.”

Joint venture

The college’s new solar panels are being installed by a joint venture between local firm Chico Electric and Texan electricity firm DPR Energy, which designs and builds solar systems for residential as well as commercial and municipal buildings.

The Butte College installation will include ground-mounted solar panels and panels mounted on parking lot and walkway shade structures at the main Oroville campus and the college’s satellite campus in Chico.

Funding for the $17 million project includes $12.65 million in federal Clean Renewable Energy Bonds, $1 million in rebates from the California Solar Initiative and utility Pacific Gas & Electric, with the remainder from college funds.

“Forward-thinking”

The college first installed solar panels back in 2003, and believes it will save $150 million over the next three decades by generating its own power.

“We have worked with Butte College for years and are proud to facilitate this cutting-edge project for such a forward-thinking institution,” said Norm Nielsen, president of Chico Electric.

“We congratulate Butte College for setting an example for its students, its community and other colleges in the nation by choosing solar energy as its energy source,” says Gina Heng, general manager of Mitsubishi Electric & Electronics USA’s Photovoltaic Division.