Aerojet Announces 3.5 Megawatt Solar Install at Rancho Cordova Facility

Rancho Cordova based Aerojet and Solar Power, Inc. of Roseville announced jointly today that they have entered into an agreement to build a 3.5 megawatt solar system at Aerojet’s Rancho Cordova, Ca facility. The site is located within the Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD).

This is the first solar system Aerojet has installed and it is a significant part of the company’s environmental and sustainability initiatives. During its first year of use, the Aerojet system is expected to offset approximately 4,200 tons of carbon dioxide, 16.7 tons of sulfur dioxide and approximately 6.5 tons of nitrogen oxide that would have otherwise been produced using fossil fuel power production.

The first-year net clean energy benefits equate to offsetting approximately 8,270,000 car miles driven or the clean air benefits realized from planting 976,520 trees. With a system life expectancy of 25 years, the cumulative life-cycle environmental offsets for a system of this scope are significant.

All of the power generated by the system will be utilized by Aerojet operations. “The electricity created by this solar facility provides over 20% of the power required to operate our extensive groundwater remediation program,” said Scott Neish, president of Aerojet. “This initiative is a major step in our efforts to help the environment, reduce our carbon footprint, and return approximately 20 acres of our significant land holdings in the Sacramento area to beneficial use.”

The solar array will be ground mounted utilizing a single-axis tracking system, designed to follow the course of the sun throughout the day to maximize electricity production. The solar array will consist of approximately 18,000 SPI 200 watt modules mounted atop 12 tracking arrays, covering more than 20 acres of the Aerojet site, which is located approximately 10 miles from the California state capitol.

This solar system is estimated to be the largest such facility in the United States.