ROUND UP: Enel in Uganda, new solar roofing programme, commercial PV in California

California’s LA Solar Group has launched its Empower programme, a new flexible and affordable option to procure clean energy without any additional cost.

The target market for this product is homeowners that need to upgrade their roof. The idea is that while a roof is being repaired, solar can be installed simultaneously.

The key selling point of the programme is that it will be the property’s primary source of electricity at a lower kW/h rate than found under a utility. The goal is to sustain energy cost at a fix rate so that property owners can receive more savings from their electrical consumption overtime, rather than fluctuate costs as is typical with utility companies, which have a history of increasing rates 4-5% annually.

“Our goal with the Empower Programme is to allow property owners to comfortably finance any roof repair work that is needed without paying any additional cost toward the solar system. In other words, the system itself is the new roof,” says Robert Sarai, business development manager. “What's great about the program is how committed we are to maximize the savings a property owner will receive with solar ready roofing. That's why Empower also includes a battery storage unit, making it the most productive and affordable energy product in the market.”

A 265kW commercial rooftop solar project has been completed at the North Coast Health Centre, in Encinitas, San Diego, California, providing 452,000kWh of clean energy annually.

The facility, built by local installer Borrego Solar, will provide 65% of the Centre’s energy needs, while saving US$3.5 million in energy costs over the lifetime of the system.

“We’ve seen energy costs continue to rise faster than general inflation,” said Greg Petree, president of AmeriCare Medical Properties, the owners and operators of the Centre. “As a long-time operator of medical office buildings, we are always looking for ways to better manage expenses. With more than 260 days of sun in Encinitas and our 10,000 square feet of roof space, the decision to go solar made strong economic sense.”

Leading sustainable infrastructure investor Hannon Armstrong has a new US$144 milion investment to provide over 20 individual solar projects with long-term contracts. The projects have an aggregate capacity of more than 690MW.

“We continue to find ways to optimize the capital stack for our clients' projects, creating economic value for the client and Hannon Armstrong,” said Hannon Armstrong president and CEO Jeffrey Eckel. “The investment in over 20 individual projects in this transaction supports the continued growth of our very diverse portfolio of assets.”

Following this transaction, the Hannon now owns more than 20,000 acres of land that are leased under long-term agreements to over 45 renewable energy projects and has the rights to payments from land leases for over 50 additional projects, across 15 states. 

The 50MW Boulder Solar II project has reached commercial operation and is now serving NV Energy customers in Nevada.

Boulder Solar II, developed, designed and constructed by SunPower, is the 14th solar energy resource to serve Nevadans. Located southeast of Las Vegas adjacent to Boulder Solar I, it is serving the City of Las Vegas with 100% clean energy. Combined, the two projects are the largest solar energy resource serving NV customers.

Boulder Solar II power plant is the result of the competitive cost of solar energy today, as well as NV Energy's GreenEnergy Rider programme that helps commercial customers achieve their renewable energy goals.

California-based firm Sunvalley Solar has completed a 2.2MW solar system for Wreden Ranch in California. The amount of power produced could power over 670 average homes for one year.

The 2.2MW project is part of a larger 3.3MW solar array that will constitute the largest privately-owned solar system ever installed on a California dairy. The solar energy provided from the system will offset around 85% of the farms electricity consumption.

It features 10,572 Canadian Solar modules, SMA inverters and Array Technologies single-axis trackers. 

Local Californian PV installer SunSystem Technology has completed the installation of a 68.8kW commercial rooftop PV system for LA’s Pizza Guys at their headquarters in Rancho Cordova, California.

“We think renewable energy is the wave of the future and we decided to start with our corporate headquarters in Sacramento. We are looking to expand the use of renewable energy at each of our 64 locations throughout California, Nevada, and Oregon,” said Shahriar Nejad, director of Real Estate Development for Pizza Guys.

The system is divided into two interconnections with 11kW feeding lighting requirements and the balance feeding the headquarters electrical needs. The system offsets 100% of their KWh usage, providing a dramatic reduction in their annual electrical expense.