Dinuba, Calif., Goes Solar to Cut Electricity Costs at Wastewater Treatment Plant

Dec. 6, 2011

Upgrades turn landfill into clean energy asset

The city of Dinuba, Calif., Chevron Energy Solutions and Tioga Energy have announced the completion of a 1.15 megawatt solar electric system that will reduce energy costs for operations at the city's largest energy consumer: its wastewater treatment plant. 

The ground-mounted racking system of 4,704 photovoltaic modules sits atop a capped landfill near the plant on hundreds of large concrete slabs, each weighing more than 3,000 lb. The project is expected to cut the city's electrical utility usage at the site by 70%.

"The city of Dinuba had a noteworthy vision to transform an otherwise unusable site into a clean energy-generating asset for the community," Chevron President Jim Davis said. "[Our company] is proud to partner with the city of Dinuba to provide its residents with a new solar energy landmark."

Tioga Energy financed, managed and owns the project through its SurePath Solar power purchase agreement, selling the generated electricity back to the city at predictable rates over a period of 20 years.

"The city of Dinuba smartly assessed its electricity needs and renewable energy goals to bring the project to life despite a challenging economic climate," Tioga CEO Paul Detering said.

Source: PRNewswire

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