San Joaquin County has partnered with Ameresco to build, own and run a ground-mount solar photovoltaic system at the Foothill Landfill in Linden, California.
Funded by a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA), Ameresco installed 13,770 solar modules rated at 385W-DC each and 29 solar inverters rated at 125kW-AC each.
Under a different deal with San Joaquin County, Ameresco installed 4.3 MW of landfill gas at the same landfill site in 2014.
“San Joaquin County, and it’s local communities, have long prioritized the development of renewable energy resources, both for reducing emissions and supplementing existing electricity generation. In addition to its environmental impact, the solar energy system will provide further utility cost savings to our region, which will directly benefit residents and local governments’ ability to better serve its constituents.”
Kathy Miller, chair of the San Joaquin County board of supervisors.
The solar energy system can produce approximately 10,473,000 kWh of electricity per year. This is equivalent to a reduction of 7.405 tons of CO2 emissions or a one-year energy consumption of 854 households.
In addition to substantial electrical savings, the County will also earn a $500,000 upfront lease payment for land use, which will infuse cash into the County from day one.
“As a leader in green energy, San Joaquin County is always looking for ways to provide an improved environment for our residents while at the same time providing cost savings to taxpayers. The County recognized that the Foothill Landfill site in Linden had a large amount of undeveloped land. Thanks to a previous project implemented at the site in partnership with Ameresco, we knew there was a similar opportunity to do something productive with the site. When Ameresco approached us about the potential use of the undeveloped land for solar arrays, it was an opportunity we couldn’t pass up. This is a long-term partnership and the resulting project will provide a great benefit to the County and our residents.”
Chuck Winn, San Joaquin County supervisor.
“Our continued work with San Joaquin County demonstrates that there are always additional ways to make a community more sustainable and energy-secure. We look forward to seeing this project deliver environmental benefits while also generating substantial financial savings for San Joaquin County.”
Bob Georgeoff, vice president of Ameresco.
