Businesses See a Different Kind of Green in Solar Energy

PASADENA — Not too long ago, the pitch to get businesses to buy and install solar panels relied on an appeal to "do the right thing."

Now, especially for businesses in Pasadena, that pitch has added a component companies are more likely to respond to: Installing solar panels makes good fiscal sense.

The change was fueled by several factors, including the technology’s proven track record, bank financing that has become available to fund solar projects and government rebates, said Andrew Beebe, president of EI Solutions, a provider of large-scale solar power systems.

"It’s now cost-effective to install solar power" in many utility districts, said Beebe, whose company operates a Pasadena office. "That couldn’t be said a few years ago."

In fact, Pasadena began one of the strongest solar incentive programs in the nation this year.

"If a customer wants to install solar [panels], there’s no better time," said Mauricio Mejia, the solar program manger at Pasadena Water and Power.

A combination of local, state and federal incentives, the package includes:

–Rebates based on the amount of solar power generated.

–A tax credit of 30 percent of the total cost of the system.

–Reimbursement for city permits needed for installation.

Mejia said a business wanting to install photovoltaic panels usually goes to a third-party solar-power systems provider that, because of the incentive package, can install a solar panel system with no upfront costs to the business.

"All the businesses have to do is buy the power, which is at lower cost than the local utility," Mejia said.

This package will only be offered through 2008, Mejia said.

Mejia said Pasadena already has about 70 residential and 10 commercial solar installations completed.

A project under construction at Caltech will be Pasadena’s largest PV panel facility, which is taking advantage of the city’s rebate program. EI Solutions is the designer and builder for the project.

"The goal for the campus is to create a more sustainable campus and to give people choices about being more sustainable," said Jim Cowell, the associate vice president for facilities at Caltech.

The solar facility will be built on top of a parking structure and is expected to have an annual energy production of 320,000 kilowatt-hours. That will eliminate 527,000 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions from the air each year — the equivalent of removing 46 cars from operation each year or planting 72 acres of trees.

"They had a real vision to make a statement to the community," Beebe said. "And they will save money on electric bills because of the installation."

Beebe said EI Solutions is in talks with many companies in the area looking to install PV panels.

"We’ve had a ton of requests and the numbers are so good I’d say most of them will be installing," he said.

Both EI Solutions and the solar industry have experienced considerable growth over the years. In 2001, the company had two employees. Now it has 25.

"For the last 10 years, the industry has grown 35 percent each year, which is unheard of in the energy industry," Beebe said.

In addition to the Caltech project, EI Solutions has designed and built solar facilities for Disney, Sony and British Telecom.

EI Solutions also installed 7.5 acres of PV panels at Google’s Mountain View campus, the largest solar installation on a corporate site in the U.S.

For more information on Pasadena rebates, visit www.ci.pasadena.ca.us/waterandpower/solar.

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