When real estate developer ColRich was designing their Ironwood at Epoca community for San Diego residents they wanted to provide great amenities. So before groundbreaking on the Otay Mesa multi-family apartment complex they enlisted HES Renewables to design a solar system that would benefit building owners and tenants alike.
The California-based team at HES Renewables designed a rooftop and carport solar system that was installed during the initial build of the new residential community. By incorporating solar into the construction of the ten buildings, the property owners were able to gain efficiency savings as well as ensure that each building’s design supported the ideal solar system design. For the Ironwood at Epoca community, that ideal commercial solar system included both a 280-kilowatt apartment rooftop solar system as well as a 237 kilowatts of carport solar, all built with Maxeon-produced solar panels.
The renewable energy produced on-site was set up to benefit the owners and tenants in two distinct ways. Approximately 15% of the PV solar production from the two systems is dedicated to powering the house meters. In this way, the building owners are expected to save over one million dollars on common area electric bills over the first 25 years of solar energy production.
The remaining PV solar production powers the apartment units in an arrangement that benefits both the property owners and the tenants. The property owners are able to sell the electricity to the tenants and create an additional revenue stream. Over the first 25 years the system is expected to deliver over eight million dollars in net revenue. The tenants reap rewards with a discount on the electricity delivered by the solar system. So in addition to incorporating more renewable energy into their lives, the community members save money on their monthly electric bills.
The system pays for itself quickly, with a short 3.6 year payback period. The investment in the solar system is recouped quickly in part due to the excellent solar incentives available to developers, including the Investment Tax Credit (ITC) as well as federal and state depreciation incentives.
“Our communities are so much more than the raw materials required to construct a building or the four walls in which we work. At ColRich, we invest in the physical, cultural and financial well-being of our residents and employees. We create neighborhoods that offer comfort, security and support, where people come together to allow communities to thrive and endure.”
From ColRich.com.
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).