Ground-mounted, tracking photovoltaic cells will be used at Campbell's Sacramento plant. Source: American Capital Energy.

mega-Watt capacity photovoltaic (PV) solar power generation ground-mount tracker system on 14 acres of the processor’s facility in Sacramento, CA. The plant supplies Campbell’s soups, sauces and beverages to 10 Western states and the Far East.

Campbell will lease the land to ACE, which will own the system and be responsible for its construction, operation and maintenance. Under the PPA, Campbell will purchase 100 percent of the electrical power generated by the system, which is expected to provide approximately 10 percent of the electricity the Sacramento facility requires annually. The Sacramento Municipal Utility District will purchase the solar renewable energy credits from the project. Over the course of the 20-year PPA, Campbell projects savings of approximately $2 million based on US Department of Energy projections for the cost of electricity in California’s Central Valley. The project will also eliminate approximately 58,000 metric tons of CO2 greenhouse gas emissions in the Sacramento region.

“With the signing of the agreement, the detailed design and construction of the system can now begin, and we should be in operation by March of next year,” says

 Robert Shober, Campbell vice president, engineering. “California has been a leading state in the adoption of solar technology, and we are excited to be hosting this facility, which will contribute to the quality of life in Sacramento and the entire region.”

“Campbell’s decision to move ahead with this installation is another indicator of a strong future for on-site renewable power generation among major US corporations,” says Mike Hagan, director, ACE. “This project provides further evidence that large energy users can take meaningful action to help their communities better meet their peak energy needs.” Campbell previously announced plans to host a 60-acre, 9.8 MW solar panel array at a site adjacent to its Napoleon, OH production facility.

The Sacramento community should also reap environmental benefits from the project. “The planned solar array will benefit our many Sacramento neighbors. When completed, it will have the equivalent effect, in terms of reduction of carbon, of taking approximately 500 passenger cars off the road each year,” says Brett Buatti, vice president - manufacturing at Campbell’s Sacramento plant. “This project reaffirms Campbell’s commitment to the Sacramento community and will help us continue to operate at world class manufacturing standards.”