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Researching stories for this newsletter
gets easier when chambers call in with
news directly!
The Albany
Chamber of Commerce did just that to
report their local Taco
Bell restaurant in
Albany, CA is the first commercial
establishment in the state of California
to receive a PG&E
rebate check for installing a solar hot
water system under the newly instated
CSI-Thermal program for commercial and
multifamily applications.
Taco Bell was a great candidate for
solar thermal because of the
restaurant's need for hot water for
cleaning, dishwashing, sanitation, and
rest rooms. A complete replacement of
the existing restaurant, owned by PRB
Management, LLC, provided the
opportunity to take a close look at the
energy footprint of the facility and
propose solutions to reduce greenhouse
production while improving ongoing
operating costs.
Because of the limited roof space, PRB
opted for the highly efficient
solar water
heating system over the
more common PV solar systems. The
onsite generation of
solar hot water
currently offsets 300 Therms of natural
gas a year. This saves PRB thousands of
dollars in operating costs while
directly reducing their
greenhouse gas
footprint.
Dave Fulwiler, Managing Director of PRB
stated, "The
Sun Light & Power team showed us how
attractive the financial incentives
could be for going solar. Their
hot water
system proved a good fit
in our strategy of constructing a
building that met or exceeded Albany's
requirements of a Certified
Green Building.
It's not just about wanting to do the
right thing anymore - it also makes
great economic sense while allowing us
to communicate our environmental
commitment to our customers and
communities. We are proud to be the
first in the state of California to
qualify for and receive the CSI-T
rebate."
You may recall the words of Capitola
Chamber member Mike Termini in last
week's issue. "In my eyes the solar
project that is often overlooked is
heating your hot water with solar
panels. Considering dollars spent versus
dollars gained and the environmental
benefit, heating hot water with solar is
far superior and far more efficient than
photovoltaics."
Small businesses may benefit from
installations like this as they do when
major chains like Taco Bell invest in
energy efficient food service
equipment. How?
As with technologies like solar, more
efficient refrigeration and cooking
equipment generally costs significantly
more than standard equipment. Since
these energy saving items are not
stocked like standard equipment, the
premium to be paid for new efficient
equipment is often out of reach for
small business budgets.
When national chains adopt these items
in a big way, that paves the way for
price reductions as mainstreaming of
this equipment occurs. For more details
on how to choose the most energy
efficient food service equipment,
contact another PG&E arm, the
Food Service Technology Center in
San Ramon.
To join the Albany
Chamber of Commerce, click Here!
To other California chambers: Please
let us know about your Clean Energy
successes and Green Members so we can
publish your story in the C of C
GreenSheet! |
