HENRICO COUNTY, Va. — A Henrico County sports facility is saving tens of thousands of dollars on energy costs after switching to solar power — with no upfront cost to make it happen.
Tuckahoe Sports Training Center recently had a 209-kilowatt solar array installed on its roof through Dominion Energy Solutions, a non-residential solar provider that covers installation costs. The facility's 376 panels are now generating power and helping reduce operating expenses for the organization, which has served the community since 2009.
Executive Director Lesa Williams said saving money is critical when running the organization.
"We now have a way to be sustainable. For us, we have 376 panels up there that are generating power and will help us reduce our operating costs," Williams said.
Williams said energy is one of the organization's biggest expenses in its 40,000-square-foot building.
"At the end of the day, it's one of our main bills," Williams said. "So how do we look at different solutions? And solar just looked like a really good option to explore."
Under the arrangement with Dominion Energy Solutions, a Dominion Energy company, the center buys the power generated by the panels through a power purchase agreement. Eric Weissbart with Dominion Energy explained how it works.
"So as a kilowatt hour is produced, they are buying the kilowatt hour from Dominion Energy Solutions — and typically the rate is lower than the retail rate of energy they procure from the utility," Weissbart said.
Before going solar, Tuckahoe Sports Training Center paid about 17 cents per kilowatt hour for electricity. With solar, that rate dropped to about 9 cents — a 40% discount. The array is expected to save the facility about $6,600 in the first year and an estimated $550,000 over the life of the partnership.
Williams said those kinds of savings are essential for any organization looking to stay viable long-term.
"I'm always as an executive director looking for ways that a nonprofit can find a way to survive longer than just five years," Williams said. "We have been here since 2009, and I hope we are here for another 30 or 40 years."
"As a leader, always thinking about ways you can reduce operating costs is always a big deal," Williams said.
If you are interested in going solar, you can find a link to an interest form here.
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