Kyocera and the Associated Students of San Diego State University (SDSU) announced today the completion of a 355.9 kilowatt (kW) solar photovoltaic energy system on the school’s campus, part of a student-approved plan to build a new LEED Platinum student union building. In an effort that brought together San Diego-area partners, the construction was completed by Independent Energy Solutions, of Vista, Calif., using 1,680 Kyocera KD240 solar modules produced at Kyocera’s San Diego manufacturing facility. Mounted on a carport structure on a campus parking building, Independent Energy Solutions designed the system to resist wind uplift and to mitigate seismic concerns, providing added assurance for long-term efficiency and adaptability. The utility-tied system has an expected yearly power production of 583,267 kilowatt hours (kWh) — enough energy to power almost 100 area homes each year.
The Associated Students of San Diego State University, a student-directed corporation, funded the system. Financing came as a result of a 2008 student-approved fee referendum directing a portion of funds to promote sustainability initiatives, including educational programs and facility upgrades. Funding was aided in part by a California Solar Initiative Performance Based Incentive, a program that focuses on how much electricity the system produces over five years. An inaugural ribbon-cutting ceremony will take place on Tuesday, October 11.