The companies will install a 194kW solar system to supply power to the team’s home arena, US Airways Center, which is owned by the City of Phoenix, Arizona.
EI Solutions will design and install the new solar electric system, which will consist of 1,125 high performance Suntech panels located on the fifth level of the US Airways Center parking garage.
EI Solutions’s design calls for the panels to be installed on elevated carport structures, which will provide approximately 18,000sqft of shaded parking for cars in addition to producing enough clean, renewable energy to power the equivalent of 26 Suns home games each season.
Tioga Energy will help the Suns use solar energy to manage electricity costs through a SurePath Solar power purchase agreement (PPA). Through the SurePath PPA, Tioga Energy will finance, own and operate the new solar energy system and sell the power generated to the arena under a long-term contract.
The third-party finance arrangement enables the Suns to avoid large upfront system costs as well as the ongoing maintenance responsibilities typically associated with solar energy. As a result, the Suns receive immediate energy savings and a hedge against future electricity price volatility.
Paul Detering, CEO of Tioga Energy, said: In addition to being leaders on the court, the Suns are taking the lead in realizing long-term energy needs and the financial and environmental benefits of solar power. Through the PPA agreement Tioga is able to accelerate and simplify solar adoption, allowing the Suns to focus on winning basketball games rather than the performance of their solar power system.
