On Thursday, June 22, 2017, the San Antonio City Council unanimously approved an ordinance that allows the city of San Antonio to participate in SolarHost, a rooftop solar program operated by PowerFin Partners and CPS Energy.
Through the SolarHost program, PowerFin installs, operates and maintains solar systems on residential, commercial and municipal buildings throughout the San Antonio area. Building owners, called “Hosts,” receive a credit to their electricity bill of $0.03 per kilowatt hour (kWh) generated by the solar system on their roofs. Over the last eight months, nearly 400 solar systems have been installed at homes, businesses and non-profit organizations throughout the San Antonio area.
Tuan Pham, president of PowerFin said, “We are excited and proud to work with the city of San Antonio and its Office of Sustainability to bring this innovative program to city facilities. The city’s commitment to increasing access to solar is evident by its support of our program and we look forward to helping save the community money, while increasing the footprint of clean energy in San Antonio.”
PowerFin will work with the Office of Sustainability to evaluate sites that are best suited to participate in the SolarHost program. The facilities that have been initially identified as potential SolarHost locations include Fire Station 1 (City Council District 2), Claude Black Community Center (City Council District 2), Palm Heights Community Center (City Council District 5), Miller’s Pond Community Center (City Council District 4), and Ramirez Community Center (City Council District 4). Should the maximum capacity of 300 kilowatts be installed, the City should save approximately $11,800 per year, or $354,000 over 30 years, on its electricity bills.
A main objective of SolarHost is to improve access to solar energy for all parts of the community, including underserved low-income, commercial, and non-profit segments. Pham added, “We think this program is a win-win for the city, and really any organization that chooses to participate, as it will help save money at no cost to the city, while contributing to San Antonio’s efforts to have a positive impact on our environment.”
The SolarHost program is available to residential, commercial, and non-profit customers of CPS Energy. Applications are still being accepted at www.SolarHostSA.com or by calling (210) 996-1772.
News item from SolarHost