Blacksburg Installs 867 kW Solar Power System
Rooftop System from Secure Solar Futures Will Save $2.2 Million in Energy Costs
The Town of Blacksburg has contracted with Secure Solar Futures, a provider of on-site clean energy to schools, local governments, and businesses, to complete construction of a 866.71-kilowatt solar power system to be installed at the Blacksburg Transit facility located at 2800 Commerce Drive. The system is being completed at no upfront cost to the Town of Blacksburg through a 25-year Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with Secure Solar Futures.
Virginia‑based solar design, installation, and service company Baseline Solar will soon begin installation of 1,469 solar panels on the rooftop of the Blacksburg Transit (BT) facility. “Baseline Solar has served Blacksburg and the New River Valley for 18 years. We focus on bringing clean energy systems and sustainability education to our area and are pleased to be a part of such a monumental project for the town where we were founded,” said Meg Root, Sales and Marketing Specialist for Baseline Solar.
Manufactured by VSUN Solar in Houston, Texas, the solar array will generate approximately 90% of the energy used by the building for transit administration, vehicle maintenance, and charging a fleet of up to 50 electric buses.
“Since adopting its Climate Action Plan in 2016, the Town of Blacksburg has been eager to find a financially viable option to integrate solar into its operations and facilities,” stated Carol Davis, Sustainability Manager for the Town of Blacksburg. “The Power Purchase Agreement model makes the solar project on Blacksburg Transit not just possible – but financially advantageous – ensuring significant savings on energy costs for the Town, while helping us meaningfully address our ambitious climate goals.”
Clean Energy and Money Savings with No Upfront Cost to Blacksburg
In addition to providing power support for BT operations, the clean energy produced by BT’s facility solar system in its first year will also provide environmental benefits by avoiding 1,014 metric tons of carbon pollution. That avoided pollution is equal to emissions produced by 236 gasoline-powered passenger vehicles, or the carbon sequestered by 1,017 acres of U.S. forests, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
For the 25-year term of the PPA, the company will own, operate, and maintain the solar power system, selling the energy produced to the Town of Blacksburg at a lower rate than the local electric utility. In addition, Blacksburg’s rates for solar power will remain fixed during the next 25 years through a 0% rate of cost escalation; however, electric utility rates are projected to increase faster than the rate of general inflation, projected at 3% or more annually.
During the PPA period, Blacksburg will save approximately $2.2 million in net avoided costs for electricity. After the conclusion of the PPA term, Blacksburg may opt to take ownership of the solar power system at a nominal cost, producing its own energy for the remainder of the equipment’s 35 to 40-year productive lifespan. Over 35 years, the system is expected to yield net savings in power costs of approximately $4.4 million.
“Blacksburg is showing leadership in southwest Virginia, setting an example for this historic energy-producing region to tap into solar power to run some of its most energy-intensive services with zero emissions and cost savings to the taxpayer,” said Tony Smith, CEO of Secure Solar Futures. “But Blacksburg’s leadership extends further afield, providing a practical model for any locality that runs a transit system to transition to clean power.”
Construction of this system is scheduled for completion by the end of the year.
About Secure Solar Futures: As a market and policy leader, Secure Solar Futures builds, owns, manages, and funds affordable Resilient Solar Solutions® for schools, hospitals, and businesses. The company combines state-of–the-art solar technology with an innovative business model to make commercial-scale solar readily affordable in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast, helping customers to realize the economic, environmental, and community benefits of solar energy. In 2017, Secure Solar Futures became a Certified B Corporation®. Find the company online at www.securesolarfutures.com.
