GreenEnergyForEarth.com – Alternative Energy News and Green Products

Apr 17, 2009 – Del Monte Foods (NYSE: DLM) and SunPower Corp. (Nasdaq: SPWRA, SPWRB) will dedicate a new 1.9-mw solar power system installed at 2 of Del Monte’s manufacturing plants.  Combined, the 2 installations represent the largest solar rooftop system in California’s Central Valley.  The system is expected to reduce carbon emissions by more than 95 million pounds over 30 years, which is equivalent to planting 9,800 acres of trees or not driving almost one billion miles on California roads, as determined by conversion formulas provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.  Del Monte estimates the system will deliver approximately $500,000 in savings on electrical costs in the first year of operation, and $25 million over its expected 30-year lifetime.

The celebration will take place at Del Monte’s Hanford, Calif. plant, which is hosting a 1.2-mw SunPower solar installation. At the company’s Kingsburg plant, just 33 miles from Hanford, SunPower designed and built a 759-kw installation. In recognition of the importance of this milestone for Del Monte, California State Senator Dean Florez will be in attendance for the event.

Combined, the new solar system features 9,080 solar panels, covering nearly 200,000 square feet of rooftop – roughly the equivalent of three and a half football fields. The system will produce enough energy to power approximately 7,519 homes over the next 30 years.

Environmental sustainability also makes good business sense. Under the California Solar Initiative program, this system qualifies Del Monte for a rebate on utility rates for the first 5 years of operations. Del Monte is realizing additional savings as a result of California’s net metering program, which requires customers to pay only for the net amount of electricity their regional utility company supplies over-and-above the amount of electricity generated by an on-site solar power system.