Marin Energy Plans Rooftop Solar Project at San Rafael Airport

By this fall, sunlight captured from the rooftop of San Rafael Airport buildings will be juicing selected homes in Marin.

The Marin Energy Authority, which administers the Marin Clean Energy program, said in a release this week that it has signed a 20-year power purchase agreement with the small county-owned airport for 972 kilowatts of rooftop solar power, the largest solar project in Marin.

The power is being purchased for Marin Clean Energy customers through MEA’s feed-in tariff program and the project is expected to be installed and operational by fall 2012.

Marin residents are in the process of switching over to Marin Clean Energy power or opting out and remaining with Pacific Gas and Electric Co. (PG&E will deliver power to both types of customers). The city of Mill Valley voted to join MEA in 2010.

Mill Valley City Councilman Ken wachtel, the city's representative on the MEA board, told the council at its May 21 meeting that Richmond has also voted to join Marin Clean Energy, boosting MCE's customer base by nearly one-third, or 30,000 households. Marin Energy Authority expects to be able to accommodate Richmond's energy needs by spring 2013, Wachtel said.

"All of a sudden this little train might start looking like it’s working," Wachtel said.

Dawn Weisz, MEA's executive officer, said the authority has more than 45 megawatts of new California solar projects in its contracted portfolio.

"These new projects demonstrate our commitment to adding more renewable energy onto the grid on behalf of our customers,” she said.

Airport manager Bob Herbst said the project is a first step to providing renewable locally generated energy to nearby customers.

“We believe in renewable energy and in the importance of renewable practices in every aspect of our lives and businesses," he said.

MEA said its feed-in tariff program is designed to provide local residents and property owners who build small‐scale renewable generation systems, like solar or wind, with an opportunity to sell the electrical output directly to MEA at a fair-market price. It also benefits Marin by reducing climate impacts of electrical generation and providing local economic benefits, the joint powers authority said.

Sen. Mark Leno, who represents Marin municipalities, called the airport installation an "incredibly important solar project for Marin."

“As a supporter of the Marin Energy Authority since its inception, I am proud of the agency’s progress to increase local power generation within our community," he said.

Feed‐in tariffs minimize the time and effort required to contract with power generators by standardizing the price MEA pays. The tariff targets systems of up to one megawatt that can connect to PG&E’s local distribution system.

MEA board member and Ross Town Councilmember Chris Martin said the green jobs associated with the installation are "a welcome addition to Marin County.”