Jul 15 2010
Tioga Energy, a leading supplier of renewable energy services to commercial, government, and non-profit institutions, today announced the completion of a solar installation at the Humane Society Silicon Valley (HSSV) Animal Community Center, one of the first LEED Gold certified centers in the United States.
The 274 kW solar shade structure and rooftop systems are composed of 1,335 photovoltaic (PV) modules that will provide an estimated 33 percent of all energy used at the facility. Under the terms of the SurePath™ Solar Power Purchase Agreement from Tioga, HSSV was able to avoid the large upfront costs typically associated with solar projects, creating significant savings from day one and over the life of the system.
The solar system is one aspect of the center’s many green attributes: The first-of-its-kind facility was constructed using 90 percent of the concrete from the old building’s foundation and incorporates a number of energy and water efficiency technologies, including an advanced heat recovery system, dual pane windows and a reflective "cool" roof to minimize solar heating of the building in the summer and reduce air-conditioning costs.
“Our Animal Community Center is an inspiring model of humane care, community involvement and environmental design, reducing energy costs while simultaneously creating a better environment for the animals. This feat could not have been achieved without smart partners and experts in renewable energy development, such as Tioga Energy,” said HSSV President Christine Benninger. “With Tioga’s deep knowledge and experience in solar finance, design and construction, we are able to capture the economic and environmental benefits of solar power, without the hassle.”
The HSSV project was managed by Randall Corey, who joined Tioga as Vice President of Operations in 2009. Corey’s 25 years of experience and direct involvement in construction of solar systems was key to the successful integration of the solar project with the construction of the new HSSV facility. Before joining Tioga Energy, Corey served as Vice President of Construction Operations and Supply Chain Management at Solar Integrated Technologies.
“Humane Society Silicon Valley’s new facilities represent a progressive shift in animal care, and a smart approach to solar was paramount to the development’s success,” said Paul Detering, CEO of Tioga Energy. “We consider our team at Tioga to be revolutionizing the path to solar, and it gives us great pleasure to team up with an organization that shares similar pioneering interests to realize the economic and environmental benefits of solar.”
Source: http://www.hssv.org/