SOMO Village mixed-use development announces landmark one megawatt solar-plus-energy storage installation

SANTA CLARA, Calif. & SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Green Charge and REC Solar today announced plans to build the largest commercial solar-plus-energy storage project in Sonoma County.

Green Charges one megawatt (MW) commercial energy storage system paired with REC Solars solar system will be installed at SOMO Village in Rohnert Park, Calif. The combined solar-plus-storage system is expected to deliver more than $160,000 savings to SOMO Village in the first year and more than $1.8 million over the first 10 years of operations.

SOMO Village is a mixed-use development with approximately 600,000 sf of commercial space with 50 businesses employing around 1,000 people. The property consumes nearly six MW of energy annually and redevelopment plans include a host of shops, apartments, homes and neighborhoods. SOMO Village currently has existing solar systems onsite, which are now expanded to bring the total to 16,000 solar panels at the 200-acre campus, creating Sonoma Countys largest solar-plus-storage project.

SOMO Village was the first development in North America to be named a "One Planet Community" by Bioregional, an organization that works with partners to champion a better, more sustainable way to live, work and do business. Bioregionals One Planet Living framework uses ecological and carbon footprinting as its primary guiding principles. The principles are based on ten criteria, including zero carbon emissions.

"SOMO Village is a leader in renewable energy adoption," said Alan Russo, senior vice president of sales and marketing at REC Solar. "We are proud to be their energy partner and to work alongside the Green Charge team to maximize the impact of their solar investment."

Commercial and industrial organizations such as SOMO Village are increasingly adding energy storage to decrease their dependence on a centralized electrical grid and to augment the economic benefits of their solar systems. Rocky Mountain Institute found that the increase in solar photovoltaic (PV) self-consumption due to the addition of energy storage has a value of about $25 per kilowatt-year and that demand charge reduction could be worth as much as $200 per kilowatt-year. With solar-plus-storage, businesses can consume all the solar power they produce rather than feeding it back to the grid. This lowers demand charges, offsets energy purchases and reduces utility bills.

"Solar PV has long been seen as an environmentally responsible energy choice, but many companies now deploy solar with energy storage because it is also a smart business choice," said Vic Shao, CEO of Green Charge. "With a combined solar and storage system, the potential savings and return on investment can be much greater than each can provide on a standalone basis."

On Wednesday, November 16, at 10:00 a.m. PT, Green Charge and REC Solar will host a free webinar entitled "Commercial Solar + Storage: A Cornucopia of Savings featuring Codding Enterprises." Visit www.greencharge.net/commercial-solar-storage-a-cornucopia-of-savings-green-charge-webinar-111616/ to register.

About REC Solar

REC is the only renewable energy provider focused exclusively on businesses and backed by Duke Energy, one of the largest energy companies in the world. Incorporating experience from more than 550 successful commercial solar installations over 19 years, REC Solar tailors financing and technology solutions to immediately deliver bottom line savings. REC Solar makes commercial solar simple, working seamlessly with customer operations to deliver clean energy for decades. For more, visit RECSolar.com or call 844-REC-SOLAR (844-732-7652).

About Green Charge:

Green Charge has been designing and deploying commercial energy storage since 2009, with systems installed throughout the United States. Backed by ENGIE, the largest independent power producer in the world, Green Charges mission is to use energy storage to power the world efficiently and sustainably. Our team is comprised of top energy storage industry experts, who provide performance-based solutions to optimize the value of energy for our customers. Our ecosystem of solar, EV charging, and energy efficiency partners allows our customers to combine energy storage and renewables easily and economically. Delivering all these capabilities with the least possible risk is the Green Charge Power Efficiency Agreement—a shared-savings model that puts the power of energy storage in customers hands with no capital outlay. Visit www.greencharge.net for more information.