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Normal Street Multi-Family: Commercial Solar for Apartments is Now Business As Usual

Commercial Case Study

Normal Street Apartments - North Park, CA

CHALLENGE

The developers of Normal Street Apartments in the North Park area of San Diego wanted to offer solar for future apartment renters of their multi-family complex. HES Renewables was brought in to work alongside the initial planning and construction team to integrate a solar system into the initial build.

SOLUTION

Pre-planning the solar system’s rooftop arrays and wiring brought cost efficiencies to the North Park commercial solar system installation. HES Renewables specified 174 Maxeon-built SunPower SPR-X22-360-COM solar panels, paired with two SMA America STP 33-US-41 inverters to create a system that would be ready to deliver 84,348 annual kilowatts of clean, renewable, solar energy for renters in San Diego.

CUSTOMER BENEFIT

The apartment building solar system will provide an additional revenue stream that is estimated to deliver $242,034.89 net cash flow over the first ten years of operation. The system will also offer the location owners a short payback period of just 3 years thanks to a strong return on investment of multi-family solar as well as due to strong federal and state incentives for developers to go solar. 

Additionally, apartment developers and owners can gain a marketplace advantage if they are able to offer solar energy use, generated on-site, to home renters in California. With an HES Renewables solar system already in place, the value of each unit increases in the eyes of many potential residents. By taking advantage of the plentiful sunshine that reaches San Diego, the apartment building owners were able to offer functionality that increased the desirability of their location, as well as lowered the carbon footprint of their community.

temp photo of an apartment building under construction that will soon have solar. The words "Temporary photo" are large and in red across the photo to designate that this is a placeholder photo awaiting a drone shot of the solar apartment

“It’s incredibly rewarding to bring energy cost savings and increased operations cost predictability to more and more businesses. As utility rates climb, solar’s overall value only increases. The payback period on a commercial solar system is impressively quick, allowing solar projects to provide a strong Return on Investment and then continue to deliver tremendous cost savings for decades. A commercial solar system is one of the best investments a company can make.”

– Wenjie Chen, Vice President, HES Renewables

Quick Facts

  • 62.6 kW
    Total System Size
  • 84,348 kWh
    Estimated Annual Production
  • $242,034
    Estimated 10-Year Net Cash Flow
  • 3 Years
    Payback Period
  • 28.8%
    Internal Rate of Return (10-Year)
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- Todd KentFounder & CEO, Boochcraft
“As the leading North American solar panel manufacturer, Silfab Solar is committed to partnering with only the most dedicated and quality-focused companies that share our values. We’ve had the pleasure of working with HES Renewables on several key large-scale projects and can confidently say they are among the best in the solar industry. Their dedication to delivering superior energy solutions with precision and professionalism is unmatched. From system design to installation, their attention to detail, exceptional customer service, and unwavering commitment to quality make them an invaluable partner in our mission to deliver tier-one solar solutions.”
- Silfab Solar5-Star Google Review
“Every community we create is designed with the wants and needs of our customers in mind. Our residents tell us that conserving energy and saving money on their electricity bill is important to them. Solterra is the first apartment community in San Diego to derive all the electricity residents need for daily living from the sun.”
- Mike NealPresident and CEO
H.G. Fenton
“The city has an ambitious climate action plan that envisions transferring to 100% renewable energy by the year 2035. We can’t do it without the solar community helping to take existing buildings like this one here at the San Diego Humane Society and making sure it runs on clean solar energy. So this project today is a way that we’re helping to actually achieve our climate goals while at the same time reducing costs for non-profit organizations like the Humane Society. This organization does powerful work, and the more of those resources that they can put towards caring for animals, that they don’t have to put towards energy, is incredible. So this is a multi-faceted win for not just the Humane Society but for San Diego.”
- Todd Gloria on 2.13.24Mayor of San Diego
“At the YMCA of San Diego County, we’re always looking to implement sustainability measures to help our facilities be energy efficient.”
- Luis D’CarpioVice President of Facilities & Sustainability
YMCA of San Diego County
“Hamann Construction selected HES Renewables to help deliver this project due to their competitive pricing and the similar shared values of integrity, quality workmanship, and a customer first focus, all of which has been at the heart of Hamann Construction for over 60 years.”
Hamann Companies
"The reason we went with HES is that they were very transparent, they were up front about what they were going to do, the pricing, everything was laid out clearly and we had a good feeling about them and knew they would get the job done. The installation process went smooth. The project manager broke everything down, month to month, week to week, and sent us updates on what was going on. Those updates told us everything, and if we had questions, we asked, and we'd get responses really quickly. Like I said, it was painless, and we were very happy with that.”
- Michael NepomucenoVice President, Operations
BioFilm Inc.
“Energy Toolbase and HES Renewables have been great partners to work with and we are optimistic about deploying many more energy storage systems together in the future."
- Michael LiuSenior Director of Energy Storage
BYD
"We care about being good stewards of the environment and about our bottomline. Why did we choose to go solar? The ROI is fantastic! We were waiting for a company that gave us a good vibe and was less pushy, sales techniques, and just the nuts and bolts of solar. That's what Ross and his team at HES Renewables offer. They provided a good, solid plan to go solar with little involvement from us after signing the contract. There was little to no disruption to our business operations. Wenjie was the project lead and he ran with it, and now we've got this turn-key product that's going to substantially reduce our power bills. If you were to ask me when is a good time to go solar I'd say yesterday. Do it now! Our only regret is that we didn't do it sooner.”
- Matt Morton Director of Development
The Brigantine Restaurant Corporation
“The decision to go solar was based on multiple factors. Long term cost savings and clean energy was what we wanted, and there was a nice tax write off. When you add all of those factors together it was a no brainer, and we get so much sunlight here that it keeps producing every day. A friend of mine is an engineer and did a lot of research and he recommended HES Renewables. We outsourced our research and compared bids and chose HES Renewables; they met our requirements, they’re a very professional company and have the best equipment...”
- John Cobian GM
Cobian Sandals
“We decided to go solar and to install EV chargers in our facility after a careful analysis of the return on investment (ROI). For the ROI calculation, we took in consideration the benefit to our community, our team, and our bottom line. Solar allows us to continue growing while offsetting the considerable (and increasing) cost of electricity. We chose HES Renewables because of our commitment to invest where we make our x-ray machines – thus creating local jobs and improving the lives of our team and their families."
- Dr. Bill CardosoFounder and Owner
Creative Electron
“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... 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.”
- Paolo MaccarioPresident and CEO
Silfab Solar
“BEGA North America chose to partner with HES Renewables for the design and installation of solar panels and energy storage systems based on their experience and knowledge. HES Renewables has been a reliable partner through the numerous issues that arise from a project as large as this one. Great support, great work, and great communications through the entire process.”
- Ivan GregoryEnvironmental Health & Safety Manager, BEGA North America
“We’re looking forward to seeing the impact of the 120 solar panels that were installed by HES Renewables to conserve energy and reduce costs... Beyond their primary function of supplying energy, these panels will have the added benefit of providing shade to our animals, staff and volunteers who are enjoying our new outdoor agility yards.”
- Jane Elliot-HughesSr. Director, Support Services at San Diego Humane Society

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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).

Robert Laverty

Senior Energy Consultant, Residential

Robert Laverty joined the HES team in the summer of 2018, bringing his ten years of solar design experience and his Bachelor’s degree from the University of Puget Sound with him. Robert is dedicated to finding solutions to help families produce and store electricity in order to reduce their reliance on grid power as well as help reduce their household’s carbon footprint. Robert’s experience as a newspaper editor as well as his involvement with the sustainability-focused Rocky Mountain Institute drives him to constantly seek out innovative ways to meet energy needs through renewable resources as well as helps him share those ideas with Southern California homeowners. When not at work or volunteering time with his church or community, Robert spends time with his wife and two sons or pursues his passion of fly fishing.

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