Energy Management Success Story - Southern California Edison

Energy Management Success Story
BT’s (British Telecom’s) Americas Headquarters is a
Solar Pioneer with the California Solar Initiative (CSI)
Estimated Savings by Managing Energy
Location: El Segundo
Industry: Technology
System Size: 500 kW-AC
Type of Installation: Elevated single-axis
tracking over BT’s south parking lot; elevated
ground-mounted and roof-mounted fixed-tilt
BT Leaps the Hurdles to Become
a Solar Success
Consider the challenges: BT is a tenant, not the owner, at
its El Segundo facility. It provides global telecommunication
service from the site on a 24/7/365 basis, so BT cannot accept
any undue risk to its energy supply. Some of BT’s clients and
decision-makers are located on the other side of the world.
So when Jon Reiter, senior director of Major Transactions
for BT Global Services, presented the idea of adding a major
solar energy project for BT’s offices in El Segundo, some
people within BT’s leadership were skeptical.
Less than one year later, HRH Prince Andrew was on-site
to help unveil the project in a ground-breaking ceremony.
Within a matter of months, the solar energy system at BT’s
Americas headquarters was generating approximately
1 million kWh of clean, renewable electricity per year, which
is helping BT fulfill its global goals for sustainability, with
support from CSI and Southern California Edison (SCE).
The project is an important part of BT’s overall sustainability
initiative. Since 1996, BT has reduced its UK carbon
emissions by 60 percent and announced in June 2008 its
goal to cut carbon emission intensity by 80 percent across
the globe by 2020.
“No doubt about it, we had some hurdles to get over,”
Reiter says. “When I proposed the solar project to others
on our management team, one of the first reactions was,
Number of Modules: 2,862
Results: Produces approximately 1 million
kWh each year; system provides offsets and
price certainty for 15% or more of BT’s annual
electricity requirements; greenhouse gas
emissions are reduced by at least 700,000
pounds per year
Dick O’Reilly and John Reiter of BT Global Services
‘We’re not a charity.’ But what our team showed was that
‘going solar’ offers us significant business advantages—
cost savings, a positive impact on our sustainability goals,
and the opportunity to make a statement about our values
to our customers, employees and shareholders, all of
which dovetail with BT’s bottom line.”
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“…‘going solar’ offers us significant business
advantages—cost savings, a positive impact on our
sustainability goals, and the opportunity to make a
statement about our values to our customers,
employees and shareholders...”
“Assembling the multidisciplinary BT team for this project
was a challenge, but once the players were in place, everyone
worked together with the same goals in mind,” says Reiter.
“We have a power purchase agreement (PPA) with a thirdparty
owner of the solar system, so we’re buying the
electricity at a fixed rate, but are not responsible for the risks
and costs associated with system maintenance.
“The solar integrator we selected created an innovative
tracking system that maximizes output during peak hours,
when our rates are highest. Our solar power system is among
the largest of its kind in Southern California. And as a bonus,
we now have approximately 200 shaded parking spaces, a
feature our employees enjoy.”
In addition to working with a solar PPA provider and
integrator, BT coordinated with other partners to make this
project a reality. “The owner of our building and the City of El
Segundo were great to work with and very supportive from
the project’s inception,” explains Dick O’Reilly, who served as
senior facilities manager, Western U.S., BT Group Property
during the course of the project. “We also received fantastic
support from SCE when we needed it, both in the discipline
they imposed during the rebate application process, and the
flexibility they provided during construction.”
The CSI Program Helps BT Drive
Cost Savings with Solar Power
Jon Reiter, senior director of Major Transactions
BT Global Services
Go Solar California! Energy customers like you are
part of California’s campaign to create 3,000 megawatts
of renewable solar-produced electricity—the equivalent to
taking six natural gas-fired power plants offline—and moving
the state toward a cleaner energy future.
The CSI program provides up-front or performance-based
incentives for commercial, industrial and agricultural
properties. Business owners are eligible to take a 30% Federal
Investment Tax Credit (U.S. Federal ITC) on the net cost of
their system after the CSI rebate and may claim accelerated
depreciation on the solar system. The combination of the
CSI rebate, Federal ITC and accelerated depreciation cover
approximately 50% of the average installed costs of a solar
system for the business owner. And with so much solar
coming online, system costs are competitive and the systems
themselves a reliable investment. By choosing to “Go Solar,”
business customers can reduce annual operating costs while
demonstrating a genuine commitment to “greening” their
company’s corporate brand and bottom line.
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Earn Even More Savings with
Other SCE Programs
n Find out how SCE’s Demand Response Programs
can reward you for reducing your electricity usage
during peak hours. (866) 334-7827, www.sce.com/drp.
n Switch to a time-of-use (TOU) rate and shift
electricity usage to off-peak hours, to take
advantage of lower energy rates.
n Take free SCE classes in lighting, HVAC, energy
management and more at an Edison Energy Center
(800) 336-2822, www.sce.com/ctac, (800) 772-4822,
www.sce.com/agtac.
n Take the Online Business Survey at www.sce.com/
_Tools/Business/onlineBusinessEnergySurvey.htm
to calibrate your building for savings.
Start Saving Now
California Solar Initiative
www.sce.com/csi
www.gosolarcalifornia.ca.gov
General Questions
(800) 799-4177
Program Administration
(866) 584-7436
Southern California Edison offers a range of
programs such as cash incentives, energy surveys
and payment options to help you better manage your
electricity costs. To learn more, please contact your
SCE account representative, call (800) 990-7788,
or visit us at www.sce.com.
This case study is provided for your general information and is not
intended as a recommendation or endorsement of any particular
product or company. Funding for this case study is provided by
California utility customers and administered by SCE under the
auspices of the California Public Utilities Commission.
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