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Bella Vista Water District (BVWD) in Redding has announced the completion of a 693-kilowatt solar project to provide clean energy for the utility’s use in conjunction with CalCom Energy. BVWD serves approximately 20,000 customers in a service area of over 53 square miles in Shasta County.
The newest solar project is the second solar photovoltaic (PV) system installed by the district as part of a comprehensive energy strategy to increase the district’s reliance on locally produced solar energy. The new system will further advance the district’s sustainability efforts, improve resiliency and reduce costs by offsetting electricity used to pump water throughout the district. The combined systems are expected to offset 75 percent of the district’s annual electricity use.
“Water districts in California are faced with many challenges today, including water shortages, drought and resiliency challenges – and solar can help address all these issues,” said Dylan Dupre, chief executive officer of CalCom Energy. “By utilizing clean energy to reduce costs and carbon emissions, Bella Vista can serve its customers in a more sustainable and resilient way.”
The ground-mounted system, located near BVWD’s Regulating Facility in Redding, was engineered and built by CalCom Energy who specializes in solar energy solutions for agricultural businesses, water districts and other public agencies. The system is expected to produce more than 1,000,000 kilowatt hours of clean energy per year, offsetting the equivalent carbon emissions generated by 123 houses’ electricity use per year.
BVWD has financed its solar projects using a U.S. Bureau of Reclamation WaterSMART grant and district funds. The cost savings from reduced energy consumption is estimated to be well over $3 million over the next 25 years.
“By leveraging District funds, we managed to maximize our overall investment in locally produced clean energy, which is central to the District’s energy strategy to reduce dependence upon retail power purchases and exposure to greatly increasing energy costs,” said David Coxey, general manager of Bella Vista Water District.
