Multi-Family Project Further Validates Skyline's Fast-Growing Business Model of Guaranteed Energy Savings for Customers
WASHINGTON, Oct. 15, 2013 /PRNewswire/ — Skyline Innovations, a national leader in the development and financing of commercial-scale solar hot water systems, continues to break new ground with its completion of a system that uses award-winning, low-cost technology for a 279-unit Maryland condominium community.
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Skyline Innovations finances, installs, maintains and monitors solar energy systems. The company installed a 59-collector system at the Greenbriar Condominiums using solar collector technology with a special polymer glaze to deliver more energy per square foot. This is the first use of this innovative, low-cost technology in the Mid-Atlantic region.
"Skyline Innovations' business model works by finding ways to guarantee small and mid-sized commercial customers that they'll save money on the energy they use," said Skyline CEO Zach Axelrod. "This new solar collector technology advances this model by providing a reliable, low-cost way to heat water with solar energy."
The deployment of these collectors was made possible by working closely with TEVA Energy, LLC, the sole distributor of this collector technology for commercial applications in the U.S. The Maryland Energy Administration chose this project for its "Game Changing" Energy Innovations Competitive Grant. The administration recognized the potential of Skyline's fully financed, price-indexed energy solution to significantly advance the State's clean energy market.
"Achieving clean energy diversity in Maryland and using innovative technologies to reach our goals exemplifies MEA's mission," said Abigail Ross Hopper, Director of MEA. "Skyline's advancements in solar water heating technology integration promises real results from Maryland's smart energy investments."
The project adds to Greenbriar's sustainability plan; the 279-unit community spanning 85 acres in Greenbelt, Maryland is also powered by 100% wind power. Skyline's price-indexed, no-cost offering means Greenbriar's hot water energy rates will always be a fixed percentage lower than what they would have paid for hot water from their conventional utility provider.
"Working with Skyline made sense for Greenbriar, both environmentally and financially. We have a central plant providing hot water to the condominium and apartment units comprising the Greenbriar Condominium and Glen Oaks Apartment complex," said Steve Bupp, President of CVI Inc., which has managed Greenbriar Condominiums since 1978. "The ability to reduce our environmental footprint without investing capital and while locking in a long-term discount to our energy prices was a simple decision for us."
For Greenbriar, Skyline functions much like a rooftop solar utility company. The customer shifts water heating fuel usage from utility-supplied natural gas to solar without investing capital into the purchase of a solar hot water system. Greenbriar's only expense is for solar energy used, and their price is a fixed percentage lower than their fluctuating utility rate to ensure that renewable energy is always more affordable than conventional fossil fuel.
Accurate and reliable monitoring of solar hot water systems is essential to Skyline's program in order to sell solar heating "fuel" and to provide maintenance, monitoring, and energy savings reporting to each customer. During the past four years, the Washington, DC-based company has developed a patent-pending advanced technology platform that integrates real-time system monitoring and customer utility billing information, the data and analytics from which enables the measurement and validation of actual customer savings.
ABOUT SKYLINE INNOVATIONS
Skyline Innovations guarantees customers' savings by providing a fixed discount to their utility rates for water heating. This complete customer solution finances, installs, monitors and maintains clean, reliable commercial-scale solar water heating systems at no upfront cost to customers. Founded in 2009, the company is headquartered in Washington, DC, with offices in Los Angeles, San Diego and Puerto Rico. For more information, visit www.skylineinnovations.com or facebook.com/skyline.innovations. Follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/@sky_innovations.
CONTACT
Skyline Innovations
Sandra Lee
925.270.7634
Email
Maryland Energy Administration
Devan Willemsen
410.260.7539
Email