Wednesday, October 07, 2009 at 4:20:13 PM - by Danny Vo

California's Ventura County is set to further its investments in solar energy with help from Solar Power, Inc.

The company recently announced that the Ventura County Board of Supervisors had unanimously selected it to design and install photovoltaic systems for two of the country's buildings.

The project is expected to consist of a 328 kilowatt system on a local public works building, as well as a 169 kilowatt system for the County's Vanguard building in Oxnard. The projects are said to be the first for Ventura County's buildings, even though local officials have apparently been working to develop solar resources since January 2008.

"When we began to pursue LEED certification for some of our newer facilities, we became more determined than ever to invest in a solar system that would make economic and environmental sense. This project helps us achieve that goal," said county official Steve Morgan.

The electricity generated by the solar energy systems will be sold under a Power Purchase Agreement facilitated by Solar Power Partners, which specializes in such deals and which will own and operate the arrays.