March 21,2018-
Camp San Luis and Men’s Colony Join Cal Poly Along Hwy 1
Look for more solar panels to sprout along Highway 1 this year to add to the arrays already supplying 25% of the power for Cal Poly, dedicated early this year.
Here an 18.5-acre solar farm is now generating more than 11 million kWh per year. The Cal Poly project includes more than 16,000 individual solar panels with a capacity of 4.5 megawatts (AC).
In addition to the environmental benefits, the energy it produces will provide direct savings of about $10 million on Cal Poly’s utility bills over 20 years and will create Learn by Doing opportunities for students.
PG&E’s energy load will continue to decrease locally as two more major power users nearby add solar funded through the state.
In April 2018 look for construction to start on a project for Camp San Luis Obispo.
Here a solar PV system to be installed at the California Military Department’s Camp San Luis Obispo facility will consist of roof mount PV systems located on multiple buildings totaling 0.94 MW and solar PV parking canopies of 0.58 kW.
The total PV system size will be 1.52 MW and would generate over 2,800,000 kWh during its first year of operation.
The solar system will generate renewable energy that will provide approximately 73% of the annual kWh usage of the Camp San Luis Obispo facility.
Installation is planned between April and July 2018.
Also next to the new Cal Poly solar facility, a new PV system is planned for the California Men’s Colony that will be a 2.1 MW ground mount PV system and generate approximately 4,700,000 kWh/yr., which is approximately 35% of CMC’s annual electricity use.
Construction is expected to start during the third quarter of 2018 and be operational by the end of 1st quarter 2019 says Jacqueline Cummings, Public Information Officer for General Services.
This month the California Independent System Operator said solar energy supplied about half the demand in the state.
Recently it was reported the visitor complex at Hearst Castle will be solar powered as is Vandenberg Air Force base in Lompoc.
Solar energy is also happening on a smaller scale in SLO County with more than 1200 homes adding rooftop solar arrays last year actually slowing down some from 1650 the year before and 2600 homes in 2015.