This year, the water district installed photovoltaic solar panels on the hillside located at the west side of the Penitencia Water Treatment Plant.
A 300-kilowatt system, this will have lasting impacts on the water district’s efforts to save electrical power. Standing about eight-feet tall, the panels will help offset about 20 percent of the facility’s electrical usage with renewable solar power. Over 20 years, the water district expects the system to generate more than 8,100 mega-watt hours of renewable energy.
Since 2001, the water district has made moves to harvest renewable, reliable energy, installing solar panels on the roof of its administration building and a solar carport in its headquarters parking lot that also provides electric vehicle recharging stations.
Renewable energy generated by the solar project will contribute to water district’s efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to achieve carbon neutrality by 2020 as required by the water district’s board governance policy.
Come check out the completed solar project and tour the Penitencia Water Treatment Plant at the open house on Sept. 24. To RSVP, email your address and the first and last names of those accompanying you to RSVP@valleywater.org.
Valley Water News 