Technicians for Sustainability 2012 Solar Grant Open Applications
Tucson, AZ – February 1, 2012 – Technicians for Sustainability (TFS) is proud to announce the opening of our 2012 Solar Grant application process. Starting immediately we will be accepting applications until March 21, the Spring Equinox.
The TFS grant program is funded by 1% of our revenue to help non-profit groups install renewable energy systems. This program includes both matching grants as well as full grants. The matching grant calculates the retail cost of the system, subtracts the utility rebate, and then TFS pays for 50% of the remaining amount. The full grant calculates the retail cost of the system, subtracts the utility rebate, and then TFS pays for 100% of the remaining amount.
The grant is open to nonprofits in Tucson, AZ who qualify as 501(c)(3) and who share our values of sustainability. You can find more information about the solar grant itself, past grant recipients and the application materials on our website: www.tfssolar.com/about-us/community-involvement/.
About Technicians For Sustainability:
Technicians For Sustainability (TFS) is a locally owned, mission-driven business, committed to walking their talk. They provide businesses, public institutions, and residential homeowners with high quality, clean, renewable energy systems, helping to translate environmental values into practical reality. The company employs proven technologies to meet customers’ specific needs, including solar electricity, solar hot water heating, and water harvesting. TFS has installed over a megawatt of solar power in southern Arizona. For more information about Technicians For Sustainability visit www.tfssolar.com.
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TEP 2012 Incentive Q&A
The solar industry in Tucson has been experiencing a number of changes regarding the TEP utility incentives. We are happy to keep you in the loop: below you will find answers to some common questions.
Is there still money for solar? The incentive for solar electric (photovoltaic) systems in Tucson Electric Power (TEP) service territory has been reduced from $0.75 to $0.60/watt due to high demand. In just the first month of this year, 25% of TEP’s annual solar incentive budget has already been reserved. This reflects the fact that over 375 systems have been reserved so far in 2012, most of which are solar electric systems.
Where will TEP’s incentive go from here? The new $0.60/watt incentive will remain until 50% of the annual budget is reserved. If this happens within 30 days of the latest drop (January 27, 2012), the incentive will drop to $0.40/watt. If it happens within 60 days, the incentive will drop to $0.50/watt, and if it happens after 60 days, but before June 30th, the incentive will drop to $0.55/watt.
What does this tell us? The incentive drop indicates that there was pent up demand from the fall, when no incentives were available, and that at the $0.75/watt incentive level, solar was a good enough deal that many people were motivated to install systems. We expect it to remain a good opportunity at the $0.60/watt level under the leasing model, with systems paying for themselves in less than 10 years. The customer-owned systems will take between 10 and 13 years to pay themselves off at this current incentive level.
More questions? Call us at 520.740.0736
Swim, Bike, Run – Powered by the Sun
Tucson, AZ- January 13, 2012: TriSports.com, Tucson’s very own triathlon, cycling, running and swimming gear shop, is now generating up to 100% of their electricity from solar power. The 128 kW solar electric (photovoltaic) system, designed and installed by Technicians for Sustainability, consists of two solar arrays mounted on custom built steel shade structures and a third array mounted on their roof. The panels will produce over 19,000 kWh per month which has the potential to cover all of the electricity the business uses. TriSports.com is the first triathlon shop to get even close to generating 100% of its electricity from solar power in the United States: they’re winning the race for sustainability.
The addition of this solar system at TriSports.com reaffirms the company’s dedication to sustainable practices. The 128 kW solar system saves 18,560 lbs of coal from being burned each month and 41,400 lbs of CO2 from entering the atmosphere. Perhaps most importantly, the TriSports.com solar array will save approximately 9,280 gal of water each month as compared to traditional electricity generation. This fact is often overlooked but is extremely significant in the Sonoran Desert where we live.
Sustainability has always been a goal of TriSports.com and solar is just the latest addition to a larger integration of sustainable practices. Seton Claggett, CEO of TriSports.com, shared this, “Three years ago I told our staff and our vendors that we would be on solar within the next 5 years, and here we are. This is a large investment for us but it is the right thing to do for our environment, our staff, our customers, our vendors and for our future generations.” TriSports.com has two large rainwater cisterns that collect and store up to 36,000 gallons of water at a time, which is then used to irrigate the landscaping. The company also made the switch to energy efficient lighting with their latest renovations, which significantly reduces their electricity consumption.
Not only was installing their solar system an environmentally-conscious decision, but it also makes sense from a financial standpoint. The TriSports.com system will offer a four and a half year payback period, a 10% rate of return, and for the first twenty years the solar system will save the company over $467,000.
Bruce Plenk, the City of Tucson’s Solar Coordinator, congratulates TriSports.com on their new solar system. “I am impressed with the foresight and leadership of Tucson businesses like TriSports.com who have chosen to be leaders in installing solar using their sunny rooftops as well as their parking areas to generate electricity, reduce our urban heat island and save their business money. This is a wonderful example that I hope other Tucson businesses will see and follow. Thanks to TriSports.com for showing the way to a solar future in our Solar America City!”
About TriSports.com
TriSports.com is an industry leader in triathlon, swim, bike and run retail, starting out of the home of Seton and Debbie Claggett in April 2000. Eleven years and two moves later, TriSports.com occupies 32,000 square feet of retail, warehouse and office space with 50+ employees. TriSports.com is more than just a retail presence, however; the company is also very involved with growing the sport through partnerships with races, clubs, teams and other endeavors, like being a founding member of Triathlon America, as well as being actively involved in the local Arizona community. TriSports.com also has a non-profit company, TriSports Racing, which puts on the Deuces Wild Triathlon Festival, certified as a silver-level green event through the Council for Responsible Sport, and is a founding member of their Community of Practice, an effort to ensure the future of sports in a sustainable way. TriSports.com has been recognized as one of Outside Magazine’s Best Places to Work (2009 & 2010); by Triathlete Magazine as one of Triathlete’s Best Places to Work (2010); as one of the top 100 bike shops in the US by the National Bicycle Dealers Association (2010 & 2011); as a top 10 triathlon store by Triathlon America (2011); by Comerica Bank as one of Arizona’s 50 Companies to Watch (October 2008); as one of BizAZ’s Top 35 Entrepreneurs Under 35 (June 2008); by Wells Fargo with their Copper Cactus Award for Business Growth (October 2005); and as Arizona’s Greenest Workplace by Mrs. Green’s World (October 2011). Learn more about TriSports.com online at www.TriSports.com/info.html.
About Technicians For Sustainability
Technicians For Sustainability (TFS) is a locally owned, mission-driven business, committed to walking their talk. They provide businesses, public institutions, and residential homeowners with high quality, clean, renewable energy systems, helping to translate environmental values into practical reality. The company employs proven technologies to meet customers’ specific needs, including solar electricity, solar hot water heating, and water harvesting. TFS has installed over a megawatt of solar power in southern Arizona. For more information about Technicians For Sustainability visit www.tfssolar.com.
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