The small community of Ramona, California has received some “bright” news this week.
The municipal water district that provides water, sewer, and recycled water to the community has commissioned a 530 killowatt peak (kWp) solar energy installation. The installation was developed and financed by leading solar energy company, Enfinity America Corporation. Meanwhile, the solar panels and EPC services will be provided by manufacturer Siliken.
The solar project is located at Ramona’s Santa Maria Wastewater Treatment Plant. It uses a total of 2,156 Siliken panels with an annual energy output of 919,000 kilowatt hours (kWh), which will be used to run the plant itself. The installation is scheduled to go on-stream by the end of this month.
Bob Hopper is Enfinity’s Chief Development Officer. He says, “This project came to fruition as a result of a true partnership between Enfinity, Siliken and the Ramona Municipal Water District. Our experience with similar projects – for example the City of Reno municipal installation – means that we can accelerate the pace of development and construction and bring the cost saving benefits of solar energy to Ramona’s ratepayers more quickly.”
Enfinity was founded in 2005. Its corporate office is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia but conducts business across North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific. The company finances, develops and builds solar PV projects and also owns its own portfolio of renewable energy installations.
David Barnum, General Manager of the Ramona Municipal Water District, added “The Ramona Municipal Water District is proud to be able to participate in a sustainable energy project that is anticipated to produce 919,000 kWh of local electricity in the first year and save the rate payers and citizens of the community of Ramona $480,148 over 20 years.”
Organizers say that for Ramona residents, the immediate benefits will come in the form of lower energy costs. The team also believes there will be clear environmental benefits, and a predictable price of power for the future.
“This project is a clear demonstration of solar’s value in our clean energy economy,” said Scott Sporrer, Vice President and General Manager with Siliken USA. “We’re pleased to have collaborated with experienced partners like Enfinity and the Ramona Municipal Water District who clearly recognize the quality and reliability of Siliken’s systems.”
Ramona is an unincorporated community located in San Diego County, California. It’s population was 20,292 at the 2010 census.
