"This will have a positive impact on our county," Miller points out, "It represents a true union of environmental conservation and fiscal responsibility."

The system's impressive ground mounted array consists of 2,424 165-watt PV solar modules and utilizes almost 2 acres of previously unused county owned land located in close proximity to the facility. Working in concert with the Placer County Board of Supervisors, SPI designed the system to meet clear objectives set by the Board. "From the beginning, the long-term goal of this system was to minimize Placer County's cash outlay, while designing and building a system that would dramatically reduce the County's dependency on grid-sourced electricity which is projected to rise in price into the foreseeable future," said Steve Kircher, CEO of Solar Power, Inc.

"Our design team was able to develop a system that meets the Board's economic and environmental goals. More importantly, we were able to structure a Power Purchase Agreement for the County which allowed them to execute the project, receive a discount on the energy purchased and avoid cash outlays for the system." The entire project will generate approximately $2.7 million in revenue for the Company and is expected to be recognized during the third calendar quarter.

In addition to the ground mounted array, the system also consists of three 125kW inverters that convert the DC electricity generated by the PV array into AC electricity for use by the facility. The system design also includes a self-cleaning feature that keeps the modules dust free and operating at maximum capacity year-round. Throughout daylight hours the system generates electricity while surplus electricity not used by the facility is directed out to the power grid, generating credits for the County.

Site selection and installation of the ground mounted array required special considerations. The site is graced with many heritage native oak trees and is located near an Indian preservation area. The entire array was installed without impact to any of these historical assets. Additionally, SPI had to closely coordinate installation team personnel and work schedules with the facility's strict security protocols. The entire project was completed ahead of schedule and on budget. The project broke ground in May 2007 and the system went online on October 4, 2007.

"From all aspects, this is a win-win project for residents of Placer County," said Jim Durfee, Director of Facilities for Placer County. "A photovoltaic installation of this size and scope has a positive impact on both our environment and the county's bottom line by reducing our overall operating costs. This is a project that from all aspects meets the mission of our Board of Supervisors. It represents a very responsible use of our land and management of county resources to achieve significant long-term operating cost reductions; the ultimate beneficiaries are the residents of Placer County that we serve."

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