April 19, 2002—Sonoma State University will soon begin making its own green electricity from the sun, thanks to a $157,500 low-interest loan from the California Energy Commission.
The loan will enable Sonoma State to install a rooftop photovoltaic (PV) system that will generate 68 kilowatts of electricity from the sun. The new system will not only produce “green” renewable power, but its PV roof tiles will also help reduce the cooling needs of the Rubin Salazar Building on which they will be installed. As a result of the new installation, the university can expect to save $17,500 a year on its electricity bill.
From the energy savings alone, Sonoma State can repay the State loan in nine years.
This will be the first producing renewable power installation on the Sonoma State campus. The Rubin Salazar Building houses 16 classrooms, electronic technology workshops, and offices. Sonoma State University, located in Rohnert Park, has an enrollment of more than 7,200 full-time students.
Funding for the project comes from the Energy Commission’s Energy Conservation Assistance Act account. The program provides low-interest loans to local governments, public and private non-profit schools and hospitals, public care institutions and other agencies for energy efficiency and energy producing projects.
