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Renewables creating significant savings for commercial and public facilities

Codes and Standards

Renewables creating significant savings for commercial and public facilities

Payback ranges from five to 15 years.


By Peter Fabris, Contributing Editor | August 27, 2019
Renewables creating significant savings for commercial and public facilities

Photo: Pixabay

   

The U.S. Department of Energy says that facilities that install renewable energy systems are reaping considerable savings.

Examples include:

• Retailer Best Buy installed solar panels and upgraded energy conservation to realize a cost savings of 25% over the course of four years at a site in Richfield, Minnesota.

• A rooftop solar unit at a Super 8 motel in Ukiah, California provides 60% of the electric power and 100% of the hotel’s hot water production for guestrooms and the hot tub.

• Discovery Elementary School, in Arlington County, Virginia, reports that the 97,588 sf facility operates at a 66% lower energy use intensity (EUI) compared to the district’s average.

• Suncoast Credit Union in Bushnell, Florida, upgraded its service center with solar electric systems. After its first year, the facility delivered more than 31 megawatt-hours (MWh) to the grid and used 25 MWh to become a zero-energy building.

The payback on renewables for public and institutional clients is usually 15 years or shorter. In the private sector, typical paybacks are five to seven years.

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