Five Points represents about 14% of the UC system’s total electricity usage and is a key step toward its goal of reaching carbon neutrality by 2025.
Centaurus will bring an additional 20MW installation is set to come online by mid-2017, for a total of 80MW, the largest solar purchase by any university in the US.
The deal is part of a nationwide trend of educational institutions turning to solar and wind energy to help meet their power needs.
Nearly a quarter of the solar power will go to UC Davis, while the remainder will be shared among the other UC campuses and medical centers served by the university’s Wholesale Power Program.
In addition to helping the university reach its goal under the Carbon Neutrality Initiative, the new solar power installations will also provide research and education opportunities for UC faculty, students and staff.
“As a national leader in sustainability, the University of California is taking on bold, new goals and transforming our approach to procuring and using energy in more sustainable ways,” said UC President Janet Napolitano. “Our partnership with Centaurus Renewable Energy will ensure that UC has a steady supply of cost-effective, climate-neutral electricity.”
The Five Points facility is composed of 271,200 panels, covering approximately three-quarters of a square mile of fallow farmland.
In addition to purchased solar energy, the UC system has grown its onsite solar power production considerably in recent years. A total of 36.5MW of PV technology has been installed across the campuses and medical centers, with an additional 18.3MW planned within the next year.
The UC systemwide goal of reaching 10MW of onsite solar by 2014 was surpassed two years early, and has been more than tripled to date.
