City of Tucson
Project Overview
| Location | City of Tucson, AZ |
|---|---|
| Size | 2.3 megawatt DC |
| Type | Rooftop and carport |
| Completion | 2.3 MW completed in 2012 (1 MW installed in 2009) |
| Generation | Estimated net revenues of over $6.2 million over 25 years |
| Equivalent to | Providing power to up to 350 average U.S. homes annually |
The Opportunity
The City of Tucson had many factors working in its favor as it considered a renewable energy solution to its electrical needs: optimal solar production with 360 days of sunshine annually; a history of strong political support for solar projects that began in the 1980s; and financial support with dedicated municipal bonds. After SPG Solar successfully designed and installed 1 megawatt of solar power in 2009, the City of Tucson returned to more than double its solar footprint.
The Solution
2.3 Megawatts of rooftop and carport solar power systems spanning downtown Tucson, including the Tucson Convention Center, providing combined $6.2 million net revenues. This project shows the City of Tucson’s commitment to sustainability by providing the community with up to 60 green jobs during time of construction, 2 University of Arizona internships, and clean renewable energy with cash positive revenues for 25 years. SPG Solar capitalized on its design and engineering experience, providing the City with optimized rooftop and carport solar power systems at the Tucson Convention Center, Rincon Golf Links, Hardesty, Randolph, Crime Lab, and two locations at TOPSC. The power generated at each site will offset, on average, 55 percent of the electricity used at each location.
Noteworthy Achievement
This installation builds on the City of Tucson’s earlier solar project designed and built by SPG Solar in 2009, bringing the City to 3.3 Megawatts of solar power.
Solar Power Generation
- More than 8,400 solar panels will produce over 3 million kilowatt hours annually, the equivalent of powering over 350 average U.S. homes.
- The system will be monitoring by SPG Solar’s monitoring software, eSunSpot®
Environmental Benefits
- Reduces energy costs
- Provides more predictable budget forecasts to allow for better planning
- Created up to 60 new solar jobs in Tucson during construction
- Offsets the equivalent emission of over 2,900 tons of greenhouse gases yearly
- Which is equivalent to removing 518 cars from our congested highways annually
