US: USG Corporation has entered into a Solar Energy Power Purchase and Sale Agreement (PPA) with Green Light Plaster City Solar 1 (GLPCS1) to install a solar facility at its Plaster City, California manufacturing plant. The 1MW photovoltaic (PV) system is intended to provide USG with more predictable energy costs until the 2030s.
Through the PPA, GLPCS1 and local engineering firm ZGlobal, will install solar cells on three hectares of the Plaster City site. Installation began in September 2013 and should be completed by December 2013.
"We are always looking for opportunities for our plants to use solar energy, and it made a lot of sense to move forward with this renewable energy investment at our manufacturing plant in Plaster City," said Al Zucco, senior director, Energy and Sustainability, USG.
Currently the Imperial Irrigation District (IID) supports and provides all of the USG plant's energy. IID rates are expected to increase at an unknown rate, but with the PPA USG will have predictable pricing for energy produced by the solar PV system.
In addition to improving the environmental profile of USG's Plaster City plant, the project is expected to save the company more than US$1m over the 20-year life of the project through lowered electricity costs.
