Solar Installation to Power San Jose Material Recovery Facility
GreenWaste Recovery of Foster City, Calif., and SolarCity® of San Jose, Calif., on April 9 announced the completion of a dual-array, 1,502-panel solar power system that will provide renewable power to the former company's Material Recovery Facility (MRF).
The renewable energy will power the processing and recovery of residential and commercial recyclable materials, yard trimmings, and solid waste. The MRF solar system is one of the largest commercial solar system installations in San Jose. The 300-kilowatt (DC)-rated solar arrays are expected to produce approximately 408,000 kilowatt-hours of zero-emission solar electricity annually, enough to power approximately 40-50 area homes.
"The project truly reflects the value our company places on green technology and environmental stewardship," said Richard Cristina, president of GreenWaste Recovery. "We are using the power of the sun, a clean renewable energy source, to divert recyclable and compostable materials away from landfills and put them to good use."
GreenWaste's recently completed, "state-of-the-art" MRF can sort, recover and recycle 85 percent of household waste. Utilizing clean, renewable energy to power its operations allows GreenWaste to further reduce its carbon footprint, air pollution, and dependence on fossil fuel.
SolarCity designed and installed the solar arrays—each measuring approximately 50,000 square feet and spreading across nearly 80,000 square feet—on GreenWaste's MRF and transfer station, located just north of downtown San Jose. SolarCity financed the system through a Solar Power Purchase Agreement (PPA). SolarCity's PPA allows GreenWaste to put zero money down, purchase solar electricity at a predictable, set rate, and lower its annual electricity costs.
"SolarCity's PPA offers the same benefit to businesses that our SolarLease delivers for residents—use clean power and lower your electricity costs," said Lyndon Rive, chief executive officer of SolarCity. "Greenwaste is at the cutting edge of a critical new movement among American businesses, proving that companies can lower their operating costs and lower their pollution and carbon footprint at the same time."