Aptera is a unique solar car company that established their headquarters in Carlsbad, California. Ambitious goals were announced in 2024 to bring battery production and frame & body production to their Carlsbad facility.
The challenges of solar powered commercial buildings are much easier to surmount than the challenges of solar powered travel. The Carlsbad building’s owner, H.G. Fenton, wanted to provide clean, renewable energy to the decision makers who were developing and bringing a brand new solar vehicle to the US market.
An 892-panel system using Silfab Solar panels was installed on the two-story Carlsbad building’s wide rooftop. The system’s estimated annual output of 703,284 kilowatt hours targets the goal of providing nearly all the energy that Aptera will use each year. Ivy Energy’s unique energy billing software not only created an accurate way to provide a savings on solar-generated power to Aptera’s operations, but the nearby Carlsbad Corporate Center’s solar arrays also participate in the collective power that several tenants are able to share.
The Aptera team now has locked-in savings over utility-provided energy. This also allows them to make their solar car a reality with a lowered carbon footprint of their business. The solar system brings their vehicle design philosophy to the brick and mortar facility – a drive to maximize efficiency and operate on the power provided by the sun.
With the HES Renewables solar system, H.G. Fenton has provided a strong benefit to their tenant. The ability to operate on renewable energy not only fits perfectly with the mission statement of Aptera’s solar-powered vehicle group, but provides an additional retention incentive for Aptera’s employees. Combined with the additional revenue stream for the building owner, estimated to bring in a Net Operating Income of $5,700,000 over 25 years, the commercial solar project was a win-win for the forward-thinking property owners and tenants.
HES Renewables was honored with Silfab Solar’s Installer of the Month Award in August of 2024. The Aptera Motors solar project was featured in the announcement of that designation.
From that announcement:
“As the North American leader in the design, engineering, and manufacturing of premium quality solar panels, we are proud to recognize HES Renewables as our Installer of the Month for their outstanding work on the Aptera Motors Headquarters project utilizing Silfab Commercial solar panels,” said Paolo Maccario, President and CEO, Silfab Solar. “We value our partnership with HES, having collaborated on several large-scale projects. Their dedication to excellence in system design, precise installation, and commitment to delivering superior energy solutions is commendable.”
“The Fusion Generator in the sky, the sun, is a renewable energy source that we will continue to utilize in every shape and form. Our mission is clear: move towards a sustainable future that empowers people around the world to get where they need to go with less impact on the planet and little need to pull from an external power source. We hope to inspire other companies to do the same, and we could not be prouder of the brighter future we are building.“
Chris Anthony, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Aptera Motors
We are a San Diego-based solar energy production and energy storage installation company. We have been an energy innovator since 2001 and can handle projects from solar-only arrays to micro-grid solar and storage systems with on-site EV charging stations.
If you’re looking into the benefits of on-site energy production, energy storage, or EV Charging capability, we’d love to speak with you. We’ll show you how to lower and stabilize energy costs, receive the maximum incentives, open new revenue streams, and gain control over one of the largest expenses of your business or commercial property.
Click here to be contacted by an HES Renewables representative, or simply dial us at 866-HES-RNEW (866-437-7639).