SALT LAKE CITY, UT —(eSolarEnergyNews)—  sPower, a leading renewable energy provider, announced today recently breaking ground on the 7MWdc (megawatts of direct current) Little Rock Solar Facility in Palmdale, CA. The project is expected to begin commercial operation mid-December 2014.

sPower will use First Solar, Inc Modules Plus equipment, which includes the company’s photovoltaic (PV) thin film solar modules, mounting structures and wiring integration.

«We are excited about commercializing First Solar’s award-winning thin-film technology with its exceptional efficiency levels,» said Ryan Creamer, sPower CEO. «sPower has built a pipeline that rivals any in the industry. We take an entrepreneurial approach that seeks out projects that are not only environmentally and economically feasible, but that also move our industry and company forward. Employing new technologies is one very important way we’re working towards achieving our objectives.»

The Little Rock Solar Facility is the latest in the large portfolio of sPower projects that provide construction and operations jobs, as well as revenues for local governments – all the while helping to reduce carbon emissions and delivering affordable and reliable clean energy to rate payers. The solar energy generated from the project will be sold at a set price to Southern California Edison for 20 years.

«This is an ideal partnership,» said Darin Green, Senior Manager, US Business Development for First Solar. «The leadership and financial strength of sPower combined with First Solar’s best-in-class technology establishes the perfect environment to drive down levelized cost of electricity for solar energy customers.»

When completed, the Little Rock Solar Facility is expected to generate enough clean, sustainable power to displace nearly 10,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide each year, which is the equivalent of greenhouse gas emissions from 22,732,428 miles per year driven by an average passenger vehicle or 3,422 tons of waste sent to the landfill.  The project will provide the same amount of annual carbon sequestration as by 7,826 acres of US forests1.