South Feather Water and Power
The Challenge
Feather Water and Power, like many California businesses and public works agencies, had experienced spiking electric utility bills for several years. In 2003, the Agency’s electricity costs exceeded $160,000, a big slice of their annual budget. They were faced with the prospect of continuing price rises, and increasing strain on their finances. The Agency needed a better, long-term solution that would insulate it from future uncertainties in the cost and availability of vital energy supplies.
The Solution
SPG Solar proposed a 566 kW solar photovoltaic (PV) system designed to completely eliminate South Feather’s annual electricity bill. Installed on clear, graded land with a weed barrier and a layer of crushed rock, the 44 rows of panels face due south, tilted at 22o in order to collect the most sunlight year-round. To take advantage of the cooling winds from the nearby Sierra Foothills, the system is built on open supports. This minimizes the amount of electrical resistance that excess heat can cause in solar panels, thereby maximizing their efficiency.
To finance the project, SPG Solar informed the Agency of the California Public Utility Commission’s Self Generation Initiative Program (SGIP). At the time, the program rebated half the cost of the solar system. In addition, SPG Solar offered a replaced cost financing solution that would freeze the Agency’s payments for 20 years.
The Benefits
The system connects to the local power grid to take advantage of California’s Net Energy Metering (NEM) program, through which the utility credits South Feather for any surplus electricity it sends to the grid. On sunny days, the system produces more electricity than is used, and the electric meter spins backwards. At night or on rainy days, the utility grid provides the power, and South Feather taps into its credit bank.
The Green Line
The 566 kW solar PV system at South Feather prevents 1,078,000 pounds of carbon dioxide from being emitted into the atmosphere annually by a fossil-fuel power plant. It takes 1,332 acres of rainforest to absorb this much CO2 from the atmosphere each year. This is equivalent to removing 106 passenger cars from the road or offsetting 1,137 barrels of oil.
