Santa Clara University

Silicon Valley Power Gives Santa Clara University
Large Rebate for 50 Kilowatt Solar Installation
August 6, 2007

Silicon Valley Power (SVP), the City of Santa Clara’s municipal electric utility, has granted Santa Clara University (SCU) $125,000 in rebates for the installation of a new 50-kilowatt photovoltaic (PV) system. Constructed on the University’s main facilities building, the 338-panel solar system is projected to produce an average of 80,300 kilowatt-hours (kWhs) annually, equivalent to saving enough energy to supply 15 homes. The rebate represents one of the largest given by SVP.

“Solar energy is one of Santa Clara University's initiatives to achieve a carbon emissions level 20 percent lower than the 1990 level by 2010,” says Joe Sugg, Assistant Vice President, University Operations, Santa Clara University. “Our 2010 solar goal of 1,000 kWhs is an interim accomplishment on the way to achieving the University president's commitment to a carbon neutral status in the future. In addition, solar has the benefit of guaranteeing a stable energy price for the next 25 years.”

SCU’s other initiatives are wind power, building energy efficiency upgrades, and an energy awareness campaign. To further these strategies, a team of SCU students has been chosen by the U.S. Department of Energy to participate in the 2007 Solar Decathlon, a competition in which colleges and universities from around the world design, build, and operate energy-efficient, solar-powered homes. SCU is one of only 20 institutions (and the only campus west of the Rockies) to participate in this challenge. SVP was an early contributor to SCU’s entry into the Decathlon.

SCU also is the second largest contributor to SVP’s Santa Clara Green Power, a 100 percent renewable energy program. The University’s purchase, which is equivalent to the annual output of two and a half large-scale wind turbines, represents 8,040 megawatt-hours (MWhs) of clean renewable energy, derived from new wind and solar generation sources in California.

“We are excited that Santa Clara University continues its deep commitment to green power through its many different strategies–making not only students aware of the importance of energy efficiency and renewable energy, but also the entire community,” says Mary Medeiros McEnroe, Senior Key Customer Representative for SVP. “It is our pleasure to provide the University $125,000 in rebates for protecting our environment and saving energy through the use of solar.”

For more information:
Silicon Valley Power
Silicon Valley Power is the trademark adopted for use by the century-old Electric Department of the City of Santa Clara, California. SVP provides power to more than 50,000 customers, including Applied Materials, Intel, Microsoft, National Semiconductor, Sun Microsystems and Yahoo!, at rates 25 to 45 percent below neighboring communities. SVP also offers customers a 100 percent renewable energy option through its Santa Clara Green Power program and is an active participant in the wholesale energy markets in the Western United States.