The City of Dinuba, Chevron Energy Solutions and Tioga Energy have announced the completion of a 1.15 megawatt solar electric system that will reduce energy costs for operations at the city's largest energy consumer: its wastewater treatment plant.

The ground-mounted racking system of 4,704 photovoltaic modules sits atop a capped landfill near the plant on hundreds of large concrete slabs, each weighing more than 3,000 pounds. The project is expected to cut the City of Dinuba's electrical utility usage at the site by 70 percent.

"The Chevron Energy Solutions team was relentless in its commitment to seeing this project to completion, bringing in the necessary partners such as Tioga Energy to provide funding, ongoing management and incentives," said Ed Todd, city manager for the City of Dinuba.

"We are grateful to all the teams involved for their dedication in enabling the City of Dinuba to realize the benefits of solar energy without compromising budget."

Chevron Energy Solutions designed and engineered the project, and provided construction services for installation.

"The City of Dinuba had a noteworthy vision to transform an otherwise unusable site into a clean energy-generating asset for the community," said Jim Davis, President of Chevron Energy Solutions. "Chevron Energy Solutions is proud to partner with the city of Dinuba to provide its residents with a new solar energy landmark."

Tioga Energy, a leading provider of renewable energy services to commercial, government and non-profit institutions, financed, managed and owns the project through its SurePath Solar power purchase agreement (PPA), selling the generated electricity back to the city at predictable rates over a period of 20 years.

"The City of Dinuba smartly assessed its electricity needs and renewable energy goals with Chevron Energy Solutions, and drew upon Tioga's expertise and the Tioga SurePath PPA to bring the project to life despite a challenging economic climate," said Paul Detering, CEO of Tioga Energy.

"This ceremony marks the beginning of a new chapter for environmentally sustainable operations in the City of Dinuba - one that allows the community to experience the benefits of clean power without negatively impacting resource allotment."