Stion's flat-tracking system, powered by 1884 Stion high-performance thin-film modules, expects to generate approximately 502,000 kWh of electricity per year for the water treatment plant.

SAN JOSE, Calif.--Stion, a leading US-based manufacturer of high efficiency thin-film solar modules and provider of photovoltaic solar solutions, announced today that it has completed a 255 Kilowatt (kW), single-axis tracking solar project at the Kern Sanitation Authority (KSA) Waste Water Treatment Plant in Bakersfield, California.

Stion's Project Development team was selected by the KSA to provide turn-key development and installation services for the project which was successfully commissioned during the first quarter of 2014. The solar installation will offset a significant portion of the electricity used by KSA to power their water treatment plant, and represents another commitment of the adoption of solar technology by municipal governments.

"KSA understood that our continued dependence on traditional energy sources would be costly and insufficient given our anticipated future needs," said Ramzi Mansour, Senior Engineering Manager KSA. "After evaluating the different technology options available to us, we recognized that the Stion solution provided us with the highest Kilowatt hour (kWh) performance and the best overall value for the KSA."

Stion's flat-tracking system, powered by 1884 Stion high-performance thin-film modules, expects to generate approximately 502,000 kWh of electricity per year for the water treatment plant. "This Stion tracking installation, which is designed to generate 1974 kWh/kWp/year, will produce the highest energy yield for a solar system located in this vicinity," commented Kevin Mackamul, Sr. Director of Engineering for Stion.

"Stion's team was able to analyze KSA's complex needs and develop a competitive and customized turn-key, PPA-financed solution for us," continued Mansour. "The solar installation will help to stabilize growing energy costs and the resulting savings benefits are an important component of our continued drive to improve operational efficiencies at the waste water treatment plant."

About Stion:

Stion is a leading US-based manufacturer of high-efficiency thin-film solar modules and provider of solar solutions. Stion was founded in 2006 and is backed by Khosla Ventures, the largest institutional investor in clean technology in the US. Stion is headquartered in San Jose, CA and opened its first high volume production facility in Hattiesburg, MS in 2012. For more information, visit www.stion.com.

About KSA and the Waste Water Treatment Plant:

In the 1940s, residents in an east Bakersfield area were served by the Alta Verde County Sanitation District (Alta Verde), Union Avenue County Sanitation District (Union Avenue District), and the Mt. Vernon-Panorama County Sanitation District (Mt. Vernon District). In 1991, these districts were combined and became Kern Sanitation Authority (KSA).

Approximately, 3.5 million gallons per day of industrial, commercial, and domestic wastewater from nearly 40,000 residents in an east Bakersfield area is treated each day at the KSA Wastewater Treatment Plant. Wastewater treatment is obtained via headworks screening; two primary clarifiers; an anaerobic digester; two trickling filters, two secondary clarifiers, and recirculation pumps. Plant effluent is used to irrigate 1,100 acres of adjacent farmland owned by KSA.