By Greentech Lead Team: SunPower, a manufacturer of solar panels and
systems, announced that it has broken ground on a 13.78-megawatt (DC)
solar photovoltaic (PV) power system at Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake
(NAWS China Lake) in California.
The plant is expected to generate
the equivalent of more than 30 percent of NAWS China Lake’s annual energy needs
and reduce costs by an estimated $13 million over the next 20 years. The
project is scheduled to complete the construction by the end of this year.
SunPower will operate and
maintain the plant.
The plant will utilize SunPower Oasis Power Plant product, a fully integrated, modular solar power
block. Each power block integrates the SunPower T0 Tracker with
SunPower’s Buy American-compliant E20 series solar panels, pre-manufactured
system cabling, the Oasis smart inverter, and the Oasis operating system.
SunPower Oasis also features the
SunPower advanced Tracker Monitoring and Control System (TMAC) for wireless
control of the power plant.
Through a power purchasing agreement
(PPA), NAWS China Lake will buy electricity at prices currently below the
retail utility rate. This is the first 20-year term PPA with a federal agency.
The 20-year PPA matches conventional project financing terms for solar power
facilities and allows the Navy to secure electricity at up to 30 percent below
the rate available through shorter duration 10-year PPAs.
“This 20-year PPA will
significantly lower electricity costs to the U.S. Navy over the life of the
system, and can be used as a template for additional large-scale federal solar
projects,” said Howard Wenger, SunPower president, regions.
SunPower recently announced the
installation of
its four 3.8 megawatts solar power systems that help in reducing electricity
costs of public water agencies and water treatment facilities in California.
editor@greentechlead.com