On March 3, the County of Marin celebrated the completion of its first large-scale
PV system with a full-house. Dr.
Donald Aitken, an international hero of solar, helped to dedicate the festivities,
along with PG&E's Marie Gaynor-Murphy, RWE Scott Solar's Mark Bettis, Prevalent
Power's CEO Arno Harris, and Supervisors Steve Kinsey, Cynthia Murray and Annette
Rose.
Dr. Aitken attended as a speaker and special guest
The Board accepting an award from the U.S. Department of Energy for its
committment to solar
The solar celebrants...
Dawn Weisz, with the County's Sustainability Team, looking at the PV System from afar
Public Works members Dorren Hill & Rick Carlsen
Touring the PV system on the roof
Vote
Solar has conducted a case study of this County's installation project.
Download the case
study (pdf).
PRESS RELEASE 02/24/04
The County of Marin Fires Up Solar Powered Electric Plant
SAN RAFAEL, CA - The County of Marin, California announced today that its recently
installed photovoltaic (PV) system is up and producing electric power. A formal
dedication ceremony is scheduled for March 3 in the Frank Lloyd Wright Civic
Center Board Chambers, located at 3501 Civic Center Drive in San Rafael. The
ceremony, which begins at 10:30 a.m., will include a short presentation on Marin
County's actions and commitment to energy savings and environmental protection
and will feature guest speaker, Dr. Donald Aitken, recipient of the "World
Solar Award" and affiliate faculty member of the Frank Lloyd Wright School
of Architecture. Attendees are invited to tour the PV installation afterwards.
The photovoltaic system, a SunRoof™
FS System, capable of producing up to 89 kilowatts - enough to power up
to 30 homes - was installed on top of the County's General Services Building.
"Our goal is to reduce County generated emissions, power usage and costs
20 percent by 2020," said Board of Supervisors President Steve Kinsey.
During sunny days, the County's solar electric power system can produce more
electricity than the garage complex consumes, allowing the county to receive
a credit for electricity it sends back into the power grid. The annual balance
between electricity produced and consumed is expected to reduce the facility's
electric bill from about $24,000 a year to zero.
The County used RWE
SCHOTT Solar, Inc. of Rocklin, a manufacturer and distributor of solar modules
and systems, and Prevalent
Power, Inc., a Novato-based renewable energy developer, to provide a non-penetrating
flat-roof solar electric power system for the County. The project is a timely
fiscal bright spot in a challenging funding year for the County. The $662,000
project cost is offset by a $324,000 rebate from PG&E's self-generation
incentive program and an exceptionally low interest loan from the California
Energy Commission, which will be repaid entirely with the annual energy
savings from the new system. PG&E
Vice President Anlin Ting-Mason said, "The Marin County Board of Supervisors'
leadership and foresight have resulted in a facility that will provide benefits
to the community for decades to come."
Kinsey adds, " In addition to being a remarkable asset to the County Infrastructure
this project is a beacon to other agencies and the public, showing the way to
a more sustainable future."
"As a Marin County-based company specializing in developing real-world
power solutions, it is especially gratifying to contribute to the county's energy
efficiency and generation programs," said Arno Harris, president of Prevalent
Power. "They are a great example of thinking globally and acting locally
and this PV installation does a great job of demonstrating the county's commitment
to its goals."
Marc Roper, director of sales for RWE Schott Solar added, "We are proud
to be a part of the team that is helping Marin County realize its economic and
environmental vision. It is also gratifying to be able to work with our partner,
Prevalent Power, and achieve such good results executing a complicated plan
to deliver excellent products and service to our customer."
