Based on the outskirts of San Francisco, CA, Shelter Creek Condominiums is a sprawling community of 1,296 individually owned units on 45 acres of open reserve. It’s one of the largest multi-family developments in San Mateo County and is leading the way as a sustainable community of more than 4,000 residents. Shelter Creek has a long-standing commitment to the environment and has made many investments to improve their environmental footprint, including electric vehicle charging stations, renewable energy recycling and LED lighting components. To further reduce their high energy consumption, their 440,000 square feet of roof space presented an ideal opportunity to invest in a solar system that would provide clean, renewable energy to residents.
Shelter Creek recognized that energy technology is constantly changing and wanted to invest in the most appropriate, futureproofed solution that would make a tangible difference to their electricity expenses. They decided to partner with Centrica Business Solutions to install a 2.5-megawatt high efficiency system, which could maximize solar energy generation in a limited space.
The solar system benefits from 25-year workmanship warranties and production guarantees, providing valuable peace of mind to the community. It was funded through a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) – a low-maintenance financing option which meant the system required no capital outlay. Shelter Creek pays for the electricity generated by the system at a set, discounted kWh price for the term of the contract. This provides the community with long-term predictability over their energy costs, protecting them against future price increases in utilities and enabling Shelter Creek to pass cost savings on to their residents.
At every stage of the design and installation process, Centrica Business Solutions provided ongoing support to ensure that the association members were comfortable and engaged with the development. Any questions that the residents had were expertly answered by the team during one of their regular townhalls.
Centrica Business Solutions makes it easy to embark on a solar project like this. They were with us every step of the way, providing all the support we needed so that both our board members and our residents fully understood the system. The team were incredibly supportive at every stage of the project. It’s been very exciting.” Ronnie Rosen CCAM-HR.LS, CMCA General Manager, Shelter Creek Condominium Owners’ Association
As one of the largest solar installations at a multi-family development in the state of California, the solution offsets more than 70% of the community’s annual electricity usage and is expected to generate 3,632,773 kilowatt-hours annually. This is equivalent to removing 545 cars from the road or recycling 896 tons of waste, instead of sending it to a landfill.
Since there was no cost out of pocket for the community, they have been able to make immediate cost savings which are passed onto the residents. By providing clean, renewable power to their residents, Shelter Creek is creating a more sustainable, eco-friendly environment that is increasing property values and ensuring the community remains an attractive place to live.
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