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County to unveil Los Guilicos solar farm

The County of Sonoma will celebrate its latest clean-energy project with the public dedication of a new 708-kilowatt solar system at the Los Guilicos campus on Friday, Jan. 18. The ceremonies will start at 11:05 a.m. and a tour of the facility will follow.

The three-acre ground-mounted sun-tracking photovoltaic system, when coupled with the 750 kW system installed in March 2012, make Los Guilicos one of the first municipal Zero Net Electricity campuses in California. Home to the Juvenile Justice Center, the Valley of the Moon Children’s Home and the Sierra Youth Center, the Los Guilicos campus will meet 100 percent of its electricity needs with clean renewable power from its solar systems.

Sonoma County Board of Supervisors Chairman David Rabbitt said, “This event is a true milestone. We are committed to making our facilities living models of the clean energy future. Our new solar array reflects our county’s commitment to reducing costs and using renewable energy.”

The Los Guilicos campus’ solar system was developed through a power purchase agreement with Petaluma-based SPG Solar, Inc., a leading provider of commercial solar power products and services. SPG Solar will own and operate the system, selling the renewable generation to the County of Sonoma, generating an estimated $1.4 million in savings over the solar system’s 25-year lifespan. The system will also reduce annual greenhouse gas emissions by 324 metric tons CO2e.

At the dedication, Rabbitt, First District Supervisor Susan Gorin, General Services Director Jose Obregon, and project manager Mark Chamberlin, from SPG Solar, will provide brief presentations about the solar project and energy efficiency upgrades that made this facility a living model of energy innovation.