SunPower starts construction of 9.5 MW solar plant in Los Angeles

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SunPower today said it started construction on a 9.5-megawatt (AC) solar power plant in Los Angeles County, Calif.

The solar power plant — located on DWR’s property adjacent to its Pearblossom Pumping Plant, southeast of Palmdale, will generate power for use by the California Department of Water Resources (DWR). The solar project is expected to be operational by the end of this year.

“This is an important project that will help us achieve our 2050 goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions 80 percent below 1990 levels,” said Veronica Hicks, chief of the State Water Project Power and Risk Office of DWR.

DWR will purchase the power generated by the plant under a power purchase agreement (PPA) with SunPower. The PPA provides DWR with competitive electricity rates. DWR is retaining the renewable energy credits associated with the system.

SunPower is installing a SunPower Oasis Power Plant system at the site. Oasis technology includes robotic solar panel cleaning capability that uses 75 percent less water than traditional cleaning methods and can help improve system performance by up to 15 percent.

Howard Wenger, president, business units at SunPower, said: “We commend DWR for managing its significant energy demand by relying on abundant, renewable solar power.”

SunPower estimates that the annual output from the power plant will be equal to the electricity needed to power approximately 8,500 electric vehicles for 30 years. The plant is expected to offset the equivalent amount of annual carbon emissions as 157 acres of preserved U.S. forests can neutralize in one year, according to estimates provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.