Until now, the Alamo stood as San Antonio’s most visible symbol of revolution, when the former Catholic mission became the turning point in the Texas Revolution. Now, thanks to a recent City Council decision, the city has continued its revolutionary commitment to solar.
The program, called SolarHost and created by PowerFin Partners and municipal utility CPS Energy, has identified five city-owned buildings to be the initial “hosts” of rooftop solar arrays and will receive a $0.03/kWh on their electrical bills. Projected savings on the city’s electrical bills are approximately $11,800 per year or $354,000 over 30 years.
San Antonio’s total budget for 2017 is $2.5 billion.
Under the SolarHost program, PowerFin Partners takes full responsibility for constructing, operating and maintaining the solar-electric installations on what are referred to as “host” buildings. To date, the city has seen almost 400 solar systems installed at homes, businesses, and non-profit organizations – a process expected to be significantly accelerated by the SolarHost program, which under CPS’ direction targets precisely those customers.
“We are excited and proud to work with San Antonio and its Office of Sustainability to bring this innovative program to city facilities,” said Tuan Pham, president of PowerFin. “The city’s commitment to increasing access to solar is evident by its support of our program.”
The goal of SolarHost is to improve access to solar energy for all parts of the community, including underserved low-income, commercial and non-profit segments.
“We think this program is a win-win for the city and really any organization that chooses to participate,” Pham said. “It will help save money at no cost to the city, while contributing to San Antonio’s efforts to have a positive impact on our environment.”
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