San Joaquin County partnered with Ameresco to develop, own and operate 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, as well as 29 solar inverters rated at 125kW-AC each. Under a separate agreement with San Joaquin County, Ameresco constructed a 4.3 MW landfill gas to energy plant at the same landfill 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,” said Kathy Miller, Chair of the San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors. “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.”
The solar energy system will generate approximately 10,473,000 kWh of electricity in year one. This equates to a reduction of 7,405 tons of CO2 emissions or 854 homes’ energy use for one year. In addition to the significant electrical savings, the County will also receive a $500,000 upfront lease payment for the use of the land, infusing revenue into the County from day one.
“Our continued work with San Joaquin County demonstrates that there are always additional ways to make a community more sustainable and energy-secure,” said Bob Georgeoff, Vice President of Ameresco. “We look forward to seeing this project deliver environmental benefits while also generating substantial financial savings for San Joaquin County.”
Construction of the San Joaquin County solar project was recently completed. Ameresco continues to work with multiple parties involved in its development, including Sage Energy Consulting, PG&E, the SJCOG, the Linden Fire Department, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, California State Water Resources Control Board, CEQA and the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District.