San Diego County Water Authority San Diego, CA
Project Description
The San Diego County Water Authority (SDCWA) is a public agency serving the San Diego region as a wholesale supplier of water from the Colorado River and Northern California. The Water Authority works through its 24 member agencies to provide a safe, reliable water supply to support the region’s $174 billion economy and the quality of life of 3.2 million residents.
“The Water Authority is committed to making its operations as green as possible and in a cost-effective manner that also saves ratepayer dollars. It is important to adopt practices that conserve precious resources, like water and energy, and result in long-term savings for the region’s ratepayers.”
Michael T. Hogan
Water Authority Board Chair
SDCWA's solar power installations were installed in the parking lot and on the roof of the Water Authority’s Kearny Mesa headquarters and its Fred A. Heilbron Operations Center in Escondido. The largest of the three solar energy systems was mounted using a first of its kind, black Sunlink ballasted racking atop several large water storage structures at their Twin Oaks Valley Water Treatment Plant north of San Marcos. The systems will generate enough renewable energy to meet 60% of the power needs for the Kearny Mesa and Escondido facilities and more than 25% of the power needs for the treatment plant.
Monthly Production: 218,934
Annual Production: 2,627,210
30 Year Production: 78,816,300
The San Diego County Water Authority financed their solar power installation using Borrego Solar’s integrated power purchase agreement (PPA). Per this agreement, Borrego Solar designed and constructed the solar electric installation on the three SDCWA locations, and will operate and maintain the solar energy systems for the 20 year contract term at no capital expense to SDCWA. In return, SDCWA agrees to purchase the clean renewable energy the installations produce at a predetermined below-the-grid rate. Based on the grid-rates at the time of the installation, SDCWA will save ratepayers over $1.7 million.
Carbon Dioxide Offset (annually): 3,350,105
Carbon Dioxide Offset (30 years): 100,503,213
Equivalent to the effect of
removing 407 passenger vehicles from the road
Equivalent to the effect of planting 905 acres of trees
Nitrogen Oxide Emissions Offset
(30 years): 96,835
Sulfur Oxide Emissions Offset
(30 years): 209,810
