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Up on the roof of the Co-op Supermarket, the picture is bleak. The flat, membrane-covered roof is past its end-of-life and rainwater frequently leaks into the store and offices. But the very same rainclouds that beset the Co-op have a silver lining and the now-urgent need for a new roof has become the catalyst for a sparkling new solar power system. The Co-op is planning this bold new initiative for 2019. With this one-two punch of roof and array, the Co-op simultaneously strikes a blow for renewable energy and improves its bottom line.
The main roof, almost ideally aligned for solar, is approximately 19,000 square feet and will hold about 15,000 square feet of industrial-class solar voltaic panels. This translates to about 264kW of generating capacity and a 25 percent reduction in the cost of the Co-op’s electricity bill.
The challenge for the Co-op is how to afford the array and the new roof under it. There is no choice about replacing the roof ($200,000) but the solar installation ($500,000) is both the big-ticket item and the element with the potential to pay for itself twice over in electricity savings. If electricity prices were to escalate at the four percent level of the last decade, power savings would exceed $1.5 million over 25 years.
The Co-op has also considered the alternative of a solar power purchase agreement (PPA). Although the cost for the array would then be zero, the savings on electricity would be much lower and the positive impact on the Co-op’s bottom line much smaller. After considering the alternatives, the board decided unanimously to move forward on owning an array – with the PPA as a fallback position that would at least satisfy environmental objectives.
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