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KYOCERA Supplies Photovoltaic Panels for Arizona's Largest Customer-Owned Solar Energy Project

Gatorade Co. installs 500-kilowatt PV system

Kyocera Solar, Inc. today announced that it has provided the photovoltaic (PV) modules for Arizona's largest customer-owned solar electric generating system – a 500-kilowatt installation on the roof of a distribution facility operated by The Gatorade Company, a division of Pepsico (PEP), in the city of Tolleson.

"We are excited to have partnered with SPG Solar on this project and proud to contribute to Arizona's renewable energy initiative, a program that reflects a growing trend," stated Steve Hill, president of Kyocera Solar, Inc. "Kyocera has significantly expanded its manufacturing operations and will more than triple its global production of solar modules, to 650 megawatts (MW) annually, by March 2012."

The system, installed by SPG Solar, Inc., consists of 2,448 Kyocera KD205GX-LP 205-watt PV modules on the roof of a 797,000 square-foot structure. The system is expected to produce more than 783,000 kilowatt hours per year — enough electricity to power about 51 typical Arizona households. It is additionally expected to offset about 392 metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO₂) each year, or 9,800 metric tons over 25 years.   

The project benefited from EarthWise Solar incentives provided by Salt River Project (SRP) — the leading supplier of electricity to the greater Phoenix metropolitan area — as well as state and federal incentives for renewable energy.  The colossal PV system makes PepsiCo’s Gatorade facility SRP’s largest EarthWise Solar Energy commercial customer.   

“We are excited to have partnered with SPG Solar on this project and proud to contribute to Arizona’s renewable energy initiative, a program that reflects a growing trend,” stated Steve Hill, president of Kyocera Solar, Inc. “Kyocera has significantly expanded its manufacturing operations and will more than triple its global production of solar modules, to 650 megawatts (MW) annually, by March 2012.”  

A second Kyocera production facility for PV modules recently opened in Tijuana, Mexico, Hill stated, to support rapidly growing demand in the Americas.