Crews erect a steel framework for solar panels atop the Social Sciences Parking Structure at UC Irvine. The solar photovoltaic canopy is part of a project that will quadruple the amount of green power the campus generates onsite. Steve Zylius / UC Irvine

Irvine, Calif., Nov. 4, 2014 —UC Irvine is quadrupling the amount of green power it generates on-site with the addition of solar photovoltaic canopies on three campus parking structure roofs.

Construction has already begun on the Social Science Parking Structure on Campus Drive. It will be followed by installations on the Student Center Parking Structure on Pereira Drive and the Mesa Parking Structure on Mesa Road. When the work is completed early next year, more than 11,700 newly placed solar panels will generate up to 3.2 megawatts of power, the amount needed to meet the electrical needs of 1,800 homes.

“We are pleased to be adding more renewable resources to our campus energy infrastructure in support of the University of California’s goal of carbon neutrality by 2025,” said Wendell Brase, UCI vice chancellor for administrative and business services and co-chair of UC President Janet Napolitano’s Global Climate Leadership Council.

UCI is installing the solar PV systems under a 25-year power purchase agreement with a subsidiary of NextEra Energy Resources LLC. Under the terms of the agreement, the subsidiary will own and maintain the solar installations and sell electricity to the campus at a price below what UCI would expect to pay a utility.

“The entire University of California system has accelerated efforts to use renewable energy, and that’s a vision we stand behind,” said Andrew Beebe, vice president of distributed generation at NextEra Energy Resources. “As a clean energy leader, we are proud to be working with UC Irvine to bring emission-free energy to the campus.”

The panels are manufactured by SolarWorld Americas Inc., based in Hillsboro, Ore. They employ a new technology that utilizes glass vs. traditional photovoltaic backing, which makes them translucent, longer-lasting and more efficient. The solar canopies will provide shade for vehicles parked on the upper deck of each parking structure but will not be so dark that additional lighting will be required.

The project is expected to reduce campus carbon emissions by 1,500 metric tons per year, about the same as taking 320 cars off the road.

The UCI campus currently has three on-site solar installations that supply slightly more than 1 megawatt of power: a 109-kilowatt, ground-mounted concentrated photovoltaic array near the Anteater Recreation Center; a 48-kilowatt photovoltaic array atop the Anteater Parking Structure; and rooftop arrays on a dozen campus buildings that collectively produce 895 kilowatts of energy.

Media Contact: Cathy Lawhon, Writer – clawhon@uci.edu

About NextEra Energy Resources: NextEra Energy Resources LLC (together with its affiliated entities, NextEra Energy Resources), is a clean energy leader and is one of the largest wholesale generators of electric power in the U.S., with approximately 18,300 megawatts of generating capacity primarily in 24 states and Canada as of year-end 2013. NextEra Energy Resources, together with its affiliated entities, is the largest generator in North America of renewable energy from the wind and sun. The business operates clean, emissions-free nuclear power generation facilities in New Hampshire, Iowa and Wisconsin as part of the NextEra Energy nuclear fleet, which is one of the largest in the United States. NextEra Energy Resources LLC is a subsidiary of Juno Beach, Fla.-based NextEra Energy Inc. (NYSE:NEE). For more information, visit NextEraEnergyResources.com.

About the University of California, Irvine: Founded in 1965, UCI is the youngest member of the prestigious Association of American Universities. The campus has produced three Nobel laureates and is known for its academic achievement, premier research, innovation and anteater mascot. Led by Chancellor Howard Gillman, UCI has more than 28,000 students and offers 192 degree programs. Located in one of the world’s safest and most economically vibrant communities, it’s Orange County’s second-largest employer, contributing $4.8 billion annually to the local economy.

Media access: Radio programs/stations may, for a fee, use an on-campus ISDN line to interview UC Irvine faculty and experts, subject to availability and university approval. For more UC Irvine news, visit wp.communications.uci.edu. Additional resources for journalists may be found at communications.uci.edu/for-journalists.