VISALIA, Calif., July 9, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- College of the Sequoias and Borrego Solar Systems Inc., today announce the breaking ground of 893 kilowatts (kW) of solar capacity at the district's campuses in Tulare, Calif. and Visalia, Calif. The $2.8 million installation is expected to deliver an annual savings of almost $250,000 during the first five years in operation with the receipt of solar incentive payments, and an average of $266,000 per year for the next 20 years. This results in an estimated $6.4 million in savings over the 25-year life of the system. Borrego Solar is a leading designer, installer and financier of grid-tied solar photovoltaic (PV) systems.
The Visalia campus' 285 kW elevated solar-shade system will be installed in a portion of the parking lot on the south side of the campus, providing shade and protection for student and staff vehicles. The Tulare campus' 632 kW installation will be a ground-mount tracker system on 3.3 acres of the College's property, located at East Bardsley Avenue and Olive Street. Both projects are expected to be completed in the fall of 2015.
"The District's decision to pursue solar was driven by an ongoing effort to minimize energy costs for decades to come and reduce our impact on the environment," said Byron Woods, College of Sequoias Dean of Facilities. "We are committed to keeping the focus of our spending on the students and their education. These solar installations contribute to those efforts by allowing us to repurpose funds that have historically been spent to cover increasing energy costs."
Each school will utilize all of the solar energy generated by the on-site installations with the solar installation's generation meeting almost 100 percent of the Tulare campus instructional buildings' electricity demand, and meeting almost 10 percent of the Visalia campus' electricity demand. The sites will be net-metered, meaning that any solar energy not consumed by the campus will be fed into the local electricity grid.
"The benefits of solar are obvious for community colleges, given the tight budgets they face," said Kyle Kearney, Borrego Solar's VP of Project Development for the Western Region. "When costs mount, they get transferred onto students and community members."
About College of the Sequoias
College of the Sequoias is a two-year California community college offering educational and enrichment programs for the residents of its district in Tulare and Kings Counties. In addition to the campus in Visalia, COS operates a full-service center in Hanford that is home to the college's police and fire academies. COS also opened its Tulare College Center in January 2013. It is a full-service college center and the home of COS' agriculture and other programs. For more information about COS, please visit www.cos.edu.
About Borrego Solar
Established in 1980, Borrego Solar Systems, Inc. is one of the nation's leading financiers, designers, developers and installers of commercial and utility solar power systems. Borrego Solar's photovoltaic systems are efficient, reliable and cost-effective. With more than three decades of experience and more than 1,000 solar power installations completed—totaling over 150 MW—Borrego Solar offers a complete line of solar system design and installation services throughout North America. Borrego Solar was recently ranked as the #2 commercial EPC in the United States and the #2 commercial contractor in California by Solar Power World. For more information, visit www.borregosolar.com.