Solar Power Partners Announces Completion of 5 New Solar Energy Projects

41 SPP Solar Systems Now Generate 14 MW of Clean Energy

Solar Power International 2009, Booth 110 -- Solar Power Partners, Inc. (SPP(TM)), one of America's premier independent solar power producers, today announced that it has completed five more new solar energy projects. The projects include the second phase of solar installation at UC San Diego, bringing the campus total to 1.2 megawatts, and four California grocery stores of a nationwide chain.

The solar grocery store systems are located in Soquel (248 kW), Upland (201 kW), Mira Loma (237 kW), and Pasadena (108 kW), and are among the 18 total solar systems SPP has completed in the last two years for the grocery chain. SPP now owns and operates 41 solar systems generating approximately 14 megawatts of green energy at schools, universities, medical centers, and businesses. Its facilities at the Fresno-Yosemite Airport and West County Wastewater District in Richmond, CA are the largest solar installations of their type in the country.

All five new solar systems were financed and constructed using solar Power Purchase Agreements, which enable SPP customers to embrace solar without the upfront cost or risk of owning and operating a power plant. SPP and its project investors retain ownership and sell solar power generated by the systems back to the host customers at rates generally lower than the grid, and predictable in the long-term.

"Solar Power Partners has done a great job in coordinating a set of complex installations on the UCSD campus," said David Weil, Director of Building Commissioning and Sustainability at UC San Diego. "From contracts through construction, SPP has been professional, collaborative and flexible, and worked closely with our facilities team and their construction contractors to ensure that our needs were met. The resulting arrays are beautiful, and represent a clear commitment on the University's part to meeting our sustainability goals. We are excited to have this second phase of installation completed."

At UC San Diego, the newly completed solar facilities are part of a second phase of construction. The first phase consisted of an 878.22-kilowatt solar installation on top of the Price Center, the East Campus utility plant, the Fleet Services garage, an Engineering Building, and the Gilman and Hopkins parking structure. The newly-completed second phase consists of installations at the Campus Services Center and the Birch Aquarium, bringing the combined system size to 1.2 MW. The electricity generated from the systems is equivalent to that of 1,219 metric tons of carbon dioxide offset - or the equivalent of a year's emissions from 223 passenger vehicles or power for 169 homes.

The four large grocery stores in Soquel, Upland, Mira Loma, and Pasadena represent a combined size of 794 kW, the estimated annual output of which would offset 895 metric tons of sequestered carbon dioxide - or a year of emissions from 895 passenger vehicles, or 101,589 gallons of combusted gasoline or the annual power for 124 homes.

"We're excited to add more leading university campuses and retail brands to our growing portfolio of high-quality solar energy projects," said Bob Powell, President and CEO of Solar Power Partners. "All of our systems are lowering energy costs for our customers -- and all are performing at or above expectations. Every SPP project to date is proof that our customers can have the economic and environmental benefits of green energy without the capital investment, even in a very challenging economy."

The projects, announced during Solar Power International 2009, add to SPP's overall commercial solar portfolio, bringing the company's total number of projects to 41, representing approximately 14 MW. The estimated annual energy produced by all systems would offset 895,494 metric tons of carbon dioxide, or the equivalent of one year's emissions from 164,010 passenger vehicles, or the annual power of 124,202 homes. Solar Power Partners will manage, maintain, and operate the systems for the life of the PPAs, selling the power generated to the host customers.

Source: http://www.solarpowerpartners.com/