HelioPower Client Wins Second Energy Project Award

The Housing Authority of the County of San Bernardino (HACSB) and HelioPower won the 2011 Energy All-Star Award for Outstanding Innovation in a Building Project. 

The California Center for Sustainable Energy (CCSE) recognized HACSB’s Maplewood Homes for creating a sustainable and clean environment through specific actions that showed superior energy management with an integrated approach using energy efficiency, renewable energy and water efficiency. The award was presented at CCSE’s eighth annual Energy All-Star Awards held Thursday, March 22, at the University of San Diego.

HelioPower, an integrated energy solutions company based in California, developed, constructed, owns and operates the project’s lynchpin solar installation, comprised of 100 arrays and funded in part by a $1.84 million grant from Southern California Edison’s MASH Track 2 program – the largest program grant awarded.

“These award recipients are truly furthering the goals of sustainable energy, each in their own way, by making significant contributions to reducing energy use, adopting renewable energy technologies and using green building technologies,” said Andrew McAllister, CCSE managing director. “Their leadership stands as exemplary models of how California leads the nation in our conversion to a clean energy future.”

The Energy All-Star Award is the second major accolade for the newly completed Maplewood Homes energy retrofit:  Maplewood also received the prestigious “Development of Distinction” award from Novogradac for use of the U.S. renewable energy 1603 tax credit. The Housing Authority collaborated with HelioPower to apply the credit and California Solar Initiative (CSI) grant money to reduce the community’s energy costs, create jobs, educate tenants, and foster an environmentally green community.

“We are extremely honored and humbled at this prestigious recognition.  We accomplished this with the support of our partners such as HelioPower and our residents who have taken great pride in this green endeavor that has revolutionized the housing site.  We look forward to implementing future energy saving solutions in our housing communities,” states Gustav Joslin, HACSB’s Chief Operating Officer.

The project was complex, implemented as “rolling retrofits” to minimize tenant disruption. Maplewood’s 296 duplexes – an entire neighborhood – were “whole-house” retrofitted in rolling batches, thus permitting efficient installation of energy efficient lighting, programmable thermostats, plumbing fixture upgrades, dual pane windows, evaporative coolers and tankless water heaters.  100 solar arrays were installed on all viable roofs, with production scaled to accommodate energy efficiency implementations.  Installation was staged and sequenced in concert with new roof installation to minimize labor costs and preserve new roof warranties.  The Housing Authority upgraded electrical service entries and Southern California Edison contributed upgraded transformers to the comprehensive effort.

The project also incorporated a substantial community education and outreach effort, including tenant water and energy conservation training and workshops, green job training from Helio University, HACSB-HelioPower collaborative ribbon cutting outreach & presentations as well as solar education and energy efficiency and savings workshop open to all tenants.  HelioPower continues to provide real-time solar production and carbon offset monitoring available online and via wall mounted kiosk at Maplewood’s Johnson Hall Community Center.

“Congratulations to HACSB for being honored again for the Maplewood Homes project,” said Tom Millhoff, Vice President ofHelioPower solar crew onsite at Maplewood Homes award winning installation.

Business Development at HelioPower.  “Maplewood is a shining example of how an integrated and comprehensive approach to energy management can yield dramatic and lasting results.  The project is saving over 50,000 therms and 1 million kWh annually, generating an annual C02 offset equivalent of almost 900 metric tons and saving over 58,000 kilogallons of fresh water. “

“HelioPower is proud to have played a major role in designing, developing, financing, engineering, installing, operating and maintain these energy projects at Maplewood.  Nothing succeeds like success: HelioPower and HACSB will soon complete a similar project in Barstow, and other projects are in development,” said Mr. Millhoff.