(Photo: Hospice by the Bay in Larkspur, California. Credit: Hospice by the Bay and SolarCraft)[/caption]
Installation of a 158 kW DC solar system for Hospice by the Bay has been completed, says North Bay solar installer SolarCraft. The new roof-mounted system should lower the hospice’s carbon footprint and reduce operating costs.
Consisting of 433 high-efficiency solar panels, the system mounting maximizes sun exposure and produces 217,015 kWh annually. SolarCraft said that excess power generated is banked by PG&E for credit toward future use, which helps reduce strain on the power grid.
“During the life of the system, nearly 7.5 million pounds of carbon dioxide generated by Hospice by the Bay’s operations will be eliminated,” according to SolarCraft. In addition, the solar power system should reduce the hospice’s operating costs by thousands of dollars each month.
Based in Larkspur, California, Hospice by the Bay provides end of life healthcare. The hospice became the first one in the state and only the second in the entire country when it was founded in 1975 as Hospice of Marin, their website says.
SolarCraft said that the typical solar commercial system combined with current rebates and tax incentives can usually pay for itself in about three to six years. “That is considering that the typical utility costs escalate about 7% per year, which is approximately the number provided by the California Public Utilities Commission.”
Last fall, SolarCraft installed a system consisting of 446 solar panels capable of producing 230,940 kWh annually for the Fountaingrove Club in Sonoma County. The club had been devastated by one of the state’s worst wildfires in 2017. Their new system should pay for itself in six years.
The 4th Annual Environmental Leader & Energy Manager Conference takes place May 13 – 15, 2019 in Denver. Learn more here.
