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Solar power keeps L.A.'s Metro running in black and green
A public transportation agency helps to protect the environment simply by doing its job. The Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority was helping to protect its bottom line as well when it installed 425 kW of solar panels atop two bus divisions in the San Fernando Valley. The bus company with one of the nation's largest compressed natural gas bus fleets took sustainability to another level last May by building the largest PV system of its kind in the transit industry. Metro outfitted its Sun Valley and Chatsworth bus divisions with a total of 1,648 solar panels, enough to provide up to 20 percent of each division's total electricity needs. In its first year of operation, the installation had saved the agency at least $185,000 in electricity costs. In an announcement marking the project's first anniversary, Metro CEO Roger Snoble observed, "Renewable energy solutions like solar power generation are becoming both an economic imperative and a responsible way of doing business." State, local rebates improve economics It helped that half of project's $3.3 million price tag was covered by utility company rebates. Metro leveraged state incentives adopted by the California Public Utilities Commission earlier this year and local incentives through Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. "Commercial projects were eligible for both state and local rebates in 2002 and 2003," said LADWP Spokesperson Kim Hughes. "That really jumpstarted interest in solar among commercial customers." CPUC's California Solar Initiative, is making $2.7 billion in incentives available over the next 10 years to spur photovoltaic and solar thermal projects like the Metro development. The CPUC program pays a $2.80-per-watt rebate for systems sized up to 5 MW. Southern California Gas Company, Metro's natural gas supplier, passed through another $1.46 million in Self-Generation Incentive Program funds to Metro. LADWP contributed an additional $357,000 through its Solar Incentive Program. When Metro applied for the incentive, the payment was based on the size of the system. Starting in August 2006, LADWP changed to a one-time incentive payment based on the estimated 20-year output of the PV system. "We advise commercial customers thinking about PV systems to consider functionality first," said Hughes. "It will make a big difference in the economics of the installation." Metro will recoup its own $1.48 million investment within 7 to 10 years through reduced electricity costs. The system is designed to last 25 to 30 years. Rooftop space matches energy needs While other transit agencies have designed solar installations for purpose-built facilities, Metro is the first to design a solar power generation project of this magnitude on existing rooftop space. "Our maintenance facilities are big energy hogs and we are always looking for ways to cut electric bills," said Bus Facility Project Manager Tim Lindholm. The buildings have immense rooftops, he added, with nothing but ventilation on them. "With all that space, plenty of sun in the San Fernando Valley and the availability of rebates, going big just made sense," Lindholm explained. SolSource Energy, a division of CleanFuel Connections, Inc., of Arcadia, Calif., designed and installed the solar panel system. Schott Solar, Inc., of Rocklin, Calif., manufactured the solar modules and supplied the mounting system. The ASE 300 solar modules are large, powerful photovoltaic modules designed specifically for commercial and municipal installations. The modules on Metro's maintenance and transportation buildings at each bus division cover more than 43,000 square feet of rooftop area. Multiple inverters convert the DC power generated by the solar modules into AC power, which is then fed back into electric utility grid. California is a net-metered state so the utilities deduct the amount of electricity the panels generate from each division's electric bill. Big and small plans for the future Based on the success of this solar project, Metro may pursue other solar generation opportunities. The transit company drew up a list of possible sites and found two with especially good potential. The Division 18 maintenance facility in Carson has the expansive roof and excellent exposure that made Sun Valley and Chatsworth a success. The 25-acre Regional Rebuild Center lends itself to a more ambitious project. "We're looking into a public-private partnership with an energy provider that would enable Metro to build a 1-MW system," said Lindholm. Under such a deal, Metro would repay the building loan from energy savings, similar to a performance contract. The plan also calls for extensive energy-efficiency upgrades to the facility's HVAC and other systems. "It would have a longer payback period, but it would give us a bigger system to offset our energy use," Lindholm observed. Projects don't have to be big to be considered, however. Metro is also looking into smaller applications such as solar panels on light rail station platforms to generate power for video surveillance cameras, intercoms and other station equipment. With the California Energy Commission launching its new Million Solar Roofs Initiative next year, LADWP anticipates that more commercial customers will follow Metro's lead, using solar energy to cut costs. "We've allocated 50 percent of our incentive budget for 30-kW and larger systems, the kind businesses install," said Hughes. Since the utility opened its Solar Incentive Program in August, it has received 140 applications. Hughes restated the importance of designing an effective system, urging businesses interested in solar power to thoroughly research their options. LADWP customers should start with the PVWatts calculator, she advised. Outside of Los Angeles, California businesses should contact the CEC to learn more about incentive programs.
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