Jun 30, 2017   SOURCE: BusinessWire

San Antonio City Council Approves Ordinance Authorizing Participation in SolarHostTM Program

On Thursday, June 22, 2017, the San Antonio City Council unanimously approved an ordinance that allows the City of San Antonio to participate in SolarHostTM, a rooftop solar program operated by PowerFin Partners and CPS Energy.

Through the SolarHostTM program, PowerFin installs, operates, and maintains solar systems on residential, commercial, and municipal buildings throughout the San Antonio area. Building owners, called “Hosts,” receive a credit to their electricity bill of $0.03 per kilowatt hour (kWh) generated by the solar system on their roofs. Over the last eight months, nearly 400 solar systems have been installed at homes, businesses, and non-profit organizations throughout the San Antonio area.

Tuan Pham, President of PowerFin stated “We are excited and proud to work with the City of San Antonio and its Office of Sustainability to bring this innovative program to City facilities. The City’s commitment to increasing access to solar is evident by its support of our program and we look forward to helping save the community money, while increasing the footprint of clean energy in San Antonio.”

PowerFin will work with the Office of Sustainability to evaluate sites that are best suited to participate in the SolarHostTM program. The facilities that have been initially identified as potential SolarHostTM locations include Fire Station 1 (City Council District 2), Claude Black Community Center (City Council District 2), Palm Heights Community Center (City Council District 5), Miller’s Pond Community Center (City Council District 4), and Ramirez Community Center (City Council District 4). Should the maximum capacity of 300 kilowatts be installed, the City should save approximately $11,800 per year, or $354,000 over 30 years, on its electricity bills.

A main objective of SolarHostTM is to improve access to solar energy for all parts of the community, including underserved low-income, commercial, and non-profit segments. Pham added, “We think this program is a win-win for the City, and really any organization that chooses to participate, as it will help save money at no cost to the City, while contributing to San Antonio’s efforts to have a positive impact on our environment.”

The SolarHostTM program is available to residential, commercial, and non-profit customers of CPS Energy. Applications are still being accepted at www.SolarHostSA.com or by calling (210) 996-1772.

About SolarHostTM

SolarHostTM is a program of PowerFin Partners, a Texas-based developer and operator of solar projects. Through a partnership with CPS Energy, SolarHostTM lets local households, businesses, and non-profit organizations realize savings and benefits of local solar at no cost.