The Las Vegas Valley Water District (LVVWD) provides water to one million people in Southern Nevada and leads water conservation initiatives in the community. In 2006, LVVWD partnered with the Nevada Power Company and SunPower Corporation to install a 3.1 megawatt solar project across 6 facilities. Utilizing SunPower’s solar electric technology, the agency is now generating clean power to help distribute the region’s scarcest resource - water.

 

LVVWD realized that only a solar-powered solution could efficiently utilize the abundant sunlight in the desert and at the same time, avoid using water in the power-generation process. After evaluating several offerings from other solar companies, LVVWD chose SunPower for its top-performing solar technology, proven track record of successfully-managed projects, and timely delivery and completion.

Between March and April 2007, SunPower installed five solar power grids for LVVWD (the sixth was completed in June 2007). In addition to easy installation, SunPower® Solar Tracker technology offers robust, reliable, and long-lasting resistance to corrosion and high winds while delivering up to 25% more energy than fixed-tilt systems. SunPower Tracker’s unique single-axis design also encounters fewer space restrictions than dual-axis systems.

 

As solar technology does not require water to produce electricity, LVVWD has been able to demonstrate its commitment to conserving water in the desert region. Today LVVWD’s systems generate a significant amount of the company’s electricity requirements, delivering powerful cost savings and reducing the strain on the community’s power grid. Over the next 30 years, LVVWD’s reduction in carbon dioxide emissions will be 38,000 lbs., which is equivalent to planting 10,600 acres of trees, or removing 7,500 cars from our roads.