Here’s the latest roundup of solar power news for business.
Utility Southern California Edison (SCE) today announced power purchase agreements with two companies for 831 MW of solar power. Three agreements with manufacturer and developer SunPower Corp will cover 711 MW of solar power to be installed in Rosamond and Los Banos, Calif. SCE estimates that these installations will provide enough to power more than 460,000 homes.
Independent power producer Fotowatio Renewable Ventures is to build another four solar photovoltaic projects, totaling 120 MW, in Los Angeles and Kern Counties. These are expected to power the equivalent of 78,000 homes.
The Fotowatio projects are due online in 2013. The SunPower projects are scheduled to come online in two phases, with 110 MW operational in 2014 and 601 operational in 2016
Glass company Pilkington North America is installing a one-acre, 250 kW solar array with the help of $680,782 in stimulus funds, Solar Glazing reports. The $1.5 million project will be built on brownfield land, the site of Pilkington’s former East Toledo plant. The glass-maker said the array will supply about 12 percent of its power needs, and should be fully operational next month.
Organic plant food manufacturer Espoma has meanwhile announced it plans to spend $2.5 million installing solar equipment on nearly 43,000 square feet of warehouse rooftops, the (New Jersey) Daily Journal reports. The company says the installed capacity will be enough to power 60 homes and will save more than 1.4 million pounds of greenhouse gas emissions annually.
And a Pennsylvania brewpub and restaurant has installed a 66 kW, 339-panel photovoltaic system on its roof, the (Pottstown, PA) Mercury reports. Solar will now supply five to six percent of electricity usage at the Victory Brewing Co.
