Commercial Green Power News: September 15-30, 2011

Listed below is a review of major commercial onsite green power projects and announcements during the first two weeks of September, 2011. Email Eric Paul, e.paul@altaterra.net, to subscribe to the Commercial Green Power News blog. 

Leading retailers big solar push

Walgreens, a leading US pharmacy, announced plans to install 90 solar PV systems at its stores throughout Ohio.  The portfolio of systems will have a capacity of 2 MW and brings the total number of solar PV systems at Walgreens to 136.  The systems will be leased to Walgreens by SoCore Energy, which is also responsible for the construction of the system, for ten years.  The $15.1 million project is being funded by SoCore Energy, the federal tax credit, and a $5.2 million loan from the Ohio Air Quality Development Authority.

Walmart continued its commitment to solar energy announcing that it will install solar panels on up to 60 stores in California.  The new installations will increase the total number of solar systems at Walmart’s in California to 130 stores.  The systems will provide between 20-30 percent of each facilities electricity demands and will generate up to 70 million kilowatt hours of solar energy.           

IKEA completed its eleventh and twelfth US based solar projects this month at its Covina and Emeryville, California stores.  The 451 kW Covina PV system was built with 2,002 panels and will produce 651,800 kWh of clean electricity annually.  The 538 kW Emeryville PV system consists of more than 2,300 panels and will generate 760,300 kWh of clean electricity annually.  IKEA also has eight more systems under development in the Eastern United States.

Supersized on-site solar continues

The trend toward supersized on-site solar facilities continues.  ProLogis, an owner of worldwide distribution facilities, recently became home to an 8.6 MW rooftop solar array at their distribution center in Rialto, California.  The project was constructed by Oltmans Solar and designed by Blue Oak Energy. The project covered 1.2 million square feet.

Prologis has been extremely active installing solar at their warehouse in California and throughout the world.  In 2010, ProLogis signed two agreements with Southern California Edison to provide up to 125 MW of solar capacity as part of the utility’s rooftop solar program.  Prologis has also partnered with NRG Energy on a four-year, $2.6 billion project to put solar on facilities in 28 states.  Last week, the project received a partial U.S. Energy Department guarantee backing a $1.4 billion loan to put as much as 752 MW of energy on 750 buildings. 

Other solar project announcements

Oceanic Time Warner will host an 856 kW combined rooftop and parking canopy solar facility at its Mililani Tech Park in Honolulu, HI.   The project was financed by Tioga Energy and De Lage Landen, and constructed by Chevron Energy Solutions.

A 160.8 kW rooftop solar facility in Worcester, Ma was installed by Tecta Solar for Blackcomb Solar LLC. The project expects to generate 199 MWh of energy in year one. 

The largest flower market in the United States, L.A. Flower Market, installed a 280 kW solar electric system. The system received a $606,754.46 rebate from LADWP’s Solar Incentive Program.

St. Peter’s University Hospital in New Brunswick, New Jersey announced a combined capacity of 2.1 MW of solar PV at four locations. According to the press release, the project will be the largest solar PV facility at a hospital in New Jersey. The system is being financed by PSE&G’s Solar Loan program, which roughly half of a systems costs and accepts SRECs as payment for the loan.  The project is expected to save St. Peter’s $10 million in electricity costs over 25 years. 

The Golden Dawn Diner in Edgewater Park, New Jersey has begun construction on a ground-mounted solar electric system that is expected to offset two-thirds of the facilities electricity usage.

Public Institutions

The Bridgewater Library in New Jersey celebrated the completion of a solar array.  The array is part of a taxpayer-neutral, solar-energy initiative funded through the Somerset County Improvement Authority.  Vanguard Energy Partners, which is designing and installing the projects, is contracted to install 7.6 MW of solar energy at 31 locations for Somerset County.   The projects are expected to save taxpayers $18.35 million over the course of the fifteen-year power purchase agreement.

Officials at the Castro Valley Unified School District (CVUSD) have ratified a $6.617 million agreement for solar parking canopies at Canyon Middle School, Castro Valley High School and Castro Valley Adult and Career Education. CVUSD expects to save $100,000 a year in energy costs from the projects.

The Acton-Boxborough Regional School District in Massachusetts started the new school year with nearly 300 kW of solar at three schools.  The school district expects to save $400,00 over the 20-year life of the project.

Porterville Unified School District is installing solar at three schools at a cost of more than $23 million.  The projects are funded by $22 million in state bonds and are expected to save the school district half of its $2.2 million annual electricity bill.

The Leonardo museum in downtown Salt Lake City, Utah recently completed a 148 panel, 30 kW solar electric system.

Green Power Purchases

Shaughnessy Kniep Hawe, a distribution company that markets printing paper, supplies to the graphic arts industry and packaging materials, announced that they have purchased more than 1.8 million kWh of voluntary renewable energy credits to offset 100% of emissions from their electricity use. 

The University of Utah used a student fee-funded sustainability program to purchase more than 98 million kWh of wind energy production, as part of Rocky Mountain Power’s Blue Sky Renewable Energy Program.  Renewable energy credits are purchased from 3Degrees and Rocky Mountain Power. 

The St. Louis Rams are the latest NFL team to begin matching 100% of electricity usage with wind Green-e Energy-certified Renewable Energy Credits (RECs) from Ameren Missouri Pure Power and its partner, green power provider 3Degrees.  

Other News

 A petition on Change.org is urging the University of Michigan to add solar to the Michigan Stadium, aka “The Big House.”  The “Big House” is the largest stadium in the U.S. with a capacity of 109,901 people and could help to raise awareness of solar projects.