San Rafael Airport Plans to Go Solar

The Marin Energy Authority has signed a 20-year power purchase agreement with the for 972 kilowatts of rooftop solar power, the largest solar project in Marin County.

“We believe in renewable energy and in the importance of renewable practices in every aspect of our lives and businesses,” said Bob Herbst of the San Rafael Airport. “This solar project will be a needed example and the first step to promoting and providing locally generated and consumed renewable energy."

The power is purchased for Marin Clean Energy customers through MEA’s feed-in tariff program, which 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.

“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,” said  Sen. Mark Leno, D-San Francisco.

Feed‐In Tariffs minimize the usual time and effort required to contract with power generators by standardizing the price MEA pays. The feed-in tariff currently targets systems of up to one megawatt in size which can connect to PG&E’s local distribution system.

This project will begin in fall 2012. MEA has over 45 megawatts of solar projects, according to MEA Executive Officer Dawn Weisz, who said: “these new projects demonstrate our commitment to adding more renewable energy onto the grid on behalf of our customers.”