Sustainability-Minded University of California, Merced, Selects SunPower for 5-Megawatt Solar Energy System with Storage. The University’s Second SunPower Project on Campus to Support its Zero Net Energy by 2020 Goal
The University of California, Merced’s precedent-setting Triple Zero Commitment aims for zero net energy use, the creation of zero net landfill waste, and climate neutrality on campus by 2020, a goal that coincides with the university’s expansion project to nearly double the campus’s physical capacity by that same year.
In support of UC Merced’s goals, the university worked with SunPower to install a 5-megawatt solar power system featuring a carport-and-rooftop installation.
“UC Merced is a sustainability leader in higher education, and we are committed to supporting economically, socially responsible, and environmentally conscious initiatives,” said Colleen McCormick, the university’s director of sustainability. “We have always set ambitious goals for sustainability in our campus construction and operations, and this partnership with SunPower will help us reach those goals.”
The system will be UC Merced’s second featuring SunPower® solar technology. A 1-megawatt ground-mounted tracker system has been in operation and exceeding performance expectations since 2009, and the two systems combined are expected to supply more than 50 percent of the campus’s energy needs. UC Merced will own the renewable energy credits (RECs) associated with the new solar energy system, which is estimated to generate clean electricity equal to removing approximately 30,000 cars from the road every year for 25 years.
The 5-megawatt photovoltaic system and 500-kilowatt battery storage system will be financed by a power purchase agreement (PPA). In addition to energy cost savings from solar production, adding Stem’s software-driven energy storage positions UC Merced to achieve significant demand charge savings over the first 10 years of the project.
SunPower has long been a solar partner with the University of California system, given the company’s extensive experience delivering innovative energy solutions to higher education customers. SunPower was responsible for construction or operating solar systems at University of California facilities, which include systems in Berkeley, Davis, Riverside, and Santa Barbara.
About University of California, Merced UC Merced opened in 2005 as the newest campus in the University of California system and the first American research university built in the 21st century. The campus enjoys a special connection with nearby Yosemite National Park, is on the cutting edge of sustainability in construction and design, and supports highly qualified first-generation and underserved students from the San Joaquin Valley and throughout California. The Merced 2020 Project, a $1.3 billion public-private partnership that is unprecedented in higher education, will nearly double the physical capacity of the campus and support enrollment growth to 10,000 students.