Environmental Design + Construction - February 2009 - (Page 40)

MORE THAN 100 REINFORCED CONCRETE PIERS EXTENDING 15 FEET INTO THE EARTH WERE USED TO INSTALL A SOLAR SYSTEM ONTO A HILLSIDE AT THE ATHENIAN SCHOOL. PHOTO BY MIKE JOLLY. mercial solar power installations, and clearly stood out. It is among the nation’s largest solar integrators with more than a dozen offices in six states. REC teamed with Tioga Energy, a power purchase agreement (PPA) provider, on the bid. “REC and Tioga came in with the most complete package,” says Oxenburgh. REC Solar proposed to engineer and install the system, while Tioga Energy proposed to finance the project through a SurePath Solar PPA. The agreement would require no upfront capital outlay by the school. Under the longterm contract, Tioga would own and operate the system and sell the renewable electricity generated to The Athenian School at fixed rates during a 20-year period. Such a situation was exactly what the school was looking for. With a contract complete, the project moved forward until Mother Nature intervened. The plan called for 1,300 ground-mounted solar panels covering 30,000 square feet and generating 220 kilowatts of electricity. The panels would be positioned on a hillside above the school and arranged in the shape of an “A” for Athenian. But a geotechnical survey suggested that traditional PV foundations would be unsuitable for the existing soil conditions. The initial recommendation was to replace the soil on the hillside. “It raised some serious financial issues,” says Oxenburgh. The added cost of this solution nearly scuttled the project. “Tioga and REC Solar struggled hard to make this work, and came up with a relatively lost-cost alternative.” The solution was to use more than 100 reinforced concrete piers extending 15 feet into the earth. Beneﬁts Given past experience, electricity rates are sure to rise in the future. The more the public utility increases its rates, the more The Athenian School will potentially save since the fixed-rate PPA provides a hedge against rising electric costs. Tioga enables the school to lock in long-term electricity rates. Eliminating upfront capital investment and ongoing maintenance responsibilities was a huge advantage for the school and made one of the largest photovoltaic installations at a private school in California possible. The school is proud of its heritage and committed to the five pillars, which include environmental stewardship. During the next 20 years, the solar power system is expected to avoid generating more than 66 million pounds of carbon dioxide. “It will be like taking 55 passenger cars off the road each year,” Oxenburgh says. In addition to reducing pollutants, high-efficiency Mitsubishi Electric solar modules use lead-free solder, eliminating a harmful ingredient commonly used in solder in many traditional modules. This green effort sends a positive message to families of current and prospective students, not to mention the surrounding communities. “As an institution that actively demonstrates a concern for global warming, I think it helps us in our recruiting efforts,” says Oxenburgh. Harder Better Easier Flooring products that make concrete ﬂoors harder, denser, shinier, more shinier colorful and less costly to install and maintain. Create high performance concrete ﬂoors that protect indoor air quality with these SCS Indoor Advantage™ Gold certiﬁed products: ® ® ® LSGuard™ LS™ LS/CS™ www.consolideck.com 800-255-4255 Reader Service No. 192 www.EDCmag.com/webcard www.prosoco.com PAUL DETERING IS CEO OF TIOGA ENERGY. TIOGA ENERGY ENABLES COMMERCIAL, GOVERNMENT AND NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS TO REDUCE THEIR ENERGY COSTS WHILE LOWERING CARBON EMISSIONS. THROUGH THE SUREPATH SOLAR POWER PURCHASE AGREEMENT (PPA), TIOGA ENERGY OWNS AND OPERATES RENEWABLE ENERGY SYSTEMS THAT PROVIDE ORGANIZATIONS A HEDGE AGAINST ENERGY PRICE VOLATILITY AND ACCELERATE THEIR ACCESS TO CLEAN ENERGY WITHOUT ANY CAPITAL OUTLAY. FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT WWW.TIOGAENERGY.COM. 40 ed+c F E B R UA R Y 09 http://www.consolideck.com http://www.prosoco.com http://www.consolideck.com http://www.prosoco.com http://WWW.TIOGAENERGY.COM http://www.EDCmag.com/webcard

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Environmental Design + Construction - February 2009

Environmental Design + Construction - February 2009 Contents WebTOC Editor's Note Newsline New + Notable Diamonds in the Rough Alternate Alternatives Case Study: Energy Goes to School Product Focus Marketplace + Classifieds Advertiser's Index Parting Shot

Environmental Design + Construction - February 2009

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