Why are so many California companies installing solar in their parking lots?

[jboy210]

I noticed that lots of companies by me (Kaiser, etc) are installing solar panes/auto sun shades in their parking lots. Is this driven by some sort of program where they get a discount for electricity. Or are they making a lot of money feeding the electricity back into the grid? Or ?

Seems like a good use of space and when I use a facility I appreciate getting to park in the shade. But the numbers have got make sense.

 

[ItsNotAboutTheMoney]

I noticed that lots of companies by me (Kaiser, etc) are installing solar panes/auto sun shades in their parking lots. Is this driven by some sort of program where they get a discount for electricity. Or are they making a lot of money feeding the electricity back into the grid? Or ?

Seems like a good use of space and when I use a facility I appreciate getting to park in the shade. But the numbers have got make sense.

Maybe there are companies now making them at a reasonable price.

 

[Merrill]

Maybe because of Pacific Graft and Extortion!

 

[Shygar]

Well they get 30% off federal taxes too and California electricity is expensive. So not sure why every single parking lot isn't this way

 

[Ampster]

So not sure why every single parking lot isn't this way

Last time I looked it is still less expensive to install roof mount solar. Maybe they are filling up some roofs first.

 

[Lasttoy]

The VA hospital in Gainesville Fl, covered their entire parking lots with monster system. I was shocked. Keeps cars cool and generates juice.

 

[GenSao]

There are many financial benefits for businesses to go solar (not just in high TOU rate locations). Energy Sage points out some additional benefits that add to the ROI on top of the familiar Federal Investment Tax Credit (ITC) such as:

• Accelerated depreciation: Businesses can deduct 85 percent of the value of the solar asset from their taxes, providing another significant offset to the upfront cost of a system array.
• Performance-based incentives (PBIs): PBIs, including solar renewable energy certificates, are a way for solar owners in some markets to receive payment from their utility for the solar electricity that their system generates. These incentives can be significant and greatly enhance financial returns for system owners over the life of the system

 

[3laine]

The VA hospital in Gainesville Fl, covered their entire parking lots with monster system. I was shocked. Keeps cars cool and generates juice.

Tampa VA, too... and electricity is not at CA prices here, either.

 

[TheTalkingMule]

Big parking lot projects are a canned product you can just buy off the shelf. No unique engineering plans, no sales cost, no roof leak concerns. Putting out an RFP for these is likely simple and drives absurdly low pricing per Watt installed. Plus it's a very overt way to paint your company "green".

Also big corporate parks peak demand is based off air conditioning. They can probably use up quite a bit if not all of their solar energy production since there are dozens of AC units to shuffle on and off in sequence.

 

[Don TLR]

I drive by a church every day that has solar covered parking and some rooftop solar on the way home to my rooftop solar

Intel next door to my office has lots of employee parking with solar and the Safeway down the road with a sign saying just how much energy from this setup is generating,, I love the education they're providing with those signs..