By Staff Report Wednesday, October 11th, 2017

Solar technology company Edisun Microgrids and West Hills Construction announced that it built one of the largest industrial solar facilities in the region for the Chiquita Brands warehouse in Oxnard.

The 1.0 megawatt solar-tracking array utilizes 2,900 trackers on 368,000 square feet of the 528,000 square foot warehouse.

This is the first project of a partnership between the two entities that will develop about 20 megawatts in total of commercial and industrial rooftop solar projects.

The project cost between $4 million and $5 million. It was financed by the building’s owner, Harry Ross Industries.

President and CEO of Chiquita Andrew Biles said that this move helps Chiquita remain committed to the goals of sustainability and environmental consciousness.

More than 50 percent of Chiquita’s energy at this installation comes from renewable sources, and the project offsets almost 2 million pounds of CO2 every year.

According to Edisun, the patented solar-tracking technology captures 30 percent more light than fixed panels. This helps bring down operating costs for companies using large industrial buildings, reduces property taxes, and increases project economics by 20 percent.

The solar technology company also said in a press release that the panels’ stronger design, flexibility and low profile “renders wind a non-issue,” compared to fixed panels.

— Contact Katie Swalm at kswalm@pacbiztimes.com

This story has been updated on Oct. 11 at 1:30 p.m. to reflect that the project has already been completed. Additionally “solar-tracking solar panel” was changed to “solar-tracking array.”