(Butte) College to save $150m generating own solar power (CA)

http://www.brighterenergy.org/15641/news/solar/college-to-save-150m-generating-own-solar-power/

A college in Northern California has approved plans to expand its solar generating capacity to produce more energy than it consumes.

Butte College, located in Oroville, north of Sacramento, will install more than 14,000 Mitsubishi Electric solar modules to add 2.7 megawatts of generating capacity.

The project adds to the college’s existing 10,000 Mitsubishi solar panels, and will see its overall generating capacity increasing to 4.55MW (DC).

The new array is expected to produce about 3.5 million kilowatt-hours of clean energy each year, and should be complete by May 2011.

Diana Van Der Ploeg, president of Butte College, said: “Once this solar project is completed, Butte College will provide enough clean renewable energy to cover all of our electricity needs and generate slightly more than we use—which will be a source of additional revenue for the college.”

<more>