City of Tucson
The Challenge
The City of Tucson had many factors working in its favor as it considered a renewable energy solution to its electrical needs: optimal solar production with 360 days of sunshine annually; a history of strong political support for solar projects that began in the 1980s; and financial support with dedicated municipal bonds. The City of Tucson evaluated several integrators before selecting SPG Solar, Inc. to implement its solar program.
The Solution
SPG Solar collaborated closely with the City of Tucson to make their solar project a reality, helping the city utilize government bonds to maximize the city’s return on investment in solar. The City of Tucson solar projects consist of a combination of roof top arrays and ground mounted Sunseeker® single axis tracking systems, developed by Thompson Technology Inc.
El Pueblo Activity Center is the one of seven solar projects built by SPG Solar for the City of Tucson and financed by $7.6 million in Clean Renewable Energy Bonds (CREBs). Repayment of the bonds will come in part from Tucson Electric Power’s SunShare program financial incentive and electrical utility savings from the solar systems.
The Benefits
- The roof-mounted 100 kW system produces over 150,000 kWh per year providing energy during peak hours of the day, when electricity loads and prices are at the highest. The system will meet approximately 20 percent of the building’s electric load.
- The solar system requires minimal maintenance, runs silently, and has an expected operating life of over 25 years.
The Green Line
The 100 kW system produces enough electricity to power 15 Tucson homes and reduce greenhouse gases by about 108 metric tons per year. This is equivalent to removing 20 passenger vehicles from Tucson’s highways each year. Electricity generated by solar does not consume or pollute water or air during operation.
