Riverside, Calif. – As the harvest month of October begins, customers of Riverside Public Utilities (RPU) are reaping the benefits of owning their own solar generation units, as local projects now produce over 7 megawatts (MW) of clean, renewable energy from the sun.
Riverside had been experiencing about a 1 MW growth in solar annually since 2009, but the advent of more efficient and cost effective technology, coupled with available rebates and incentives from RPU and the state, has fostered incredible growth of solar generation in the community (one megawatt is enough energy to power about 650 homes).
“Less than six months ago we had 630 solar projects within the city when we reached the six megawatt milestone,” said Riverside’s Mayor Rusty Bailey “Today, there are more than 765 systems and counting as we surpass this seven megawatt mark.”
Two large generation projects at Lexus of Riverside totaling more than 171 kilowatts (kW) and several residential generation systems going online this week helped to push the city’s solar totals pass their newest milestone.
The solar panel installation was completed by Inland Empire based All Temperature Air & Solar.
RPU began turning Riverside into a solar city by funding solar generation projects at city parks, pool facilities, senior centers, low-income housing facilities, and atop City Hall before offering its electric customers a residential solar rebate incentive in 2003, and later a commercial incentive in 2008.
In addition to maintaining these programs annually for its customers, the utility is looking into ways to turn existing utilities and city-owned properties into solar farms to help increase the city’s solar totals. For more information about solar projects in Riverside, including the Green Map which points out where local solar projects are located within the city as well as parks, electric vehicle charging stations, community gardens and more visit www.GreenRiverside.com and click on the Green Map link.
For additional information about Riverside Public Utilities follow us on Facebook and on Twitter @RPUNews
Established in 1895, Riverside Public Utilities is a consumer-owned water and electric utility governed by a board of nine community volunteers that provides high quality, reliable services to over 106,000 metered electric customers and up to 64,000 metered water customers throughout the City of Riverside. The Utility is committed to increased use of renewable energy resources and sustainable living practices that help reduce environmental impacts within the City of Riverside and the state of California.