PG&E, Project Open Hand Celebrate New Solar Energy System

Energy Resource, Sept 14, 2007

ENERGY RESOURCE-14 September 2007-PG&E, Project Open Hand Celebrate New Solar Energy System(C)2007 JeraOne - http://www.jeraone.com

Pacific Gas and Electric Company and Project Open Hand this week unveiled the non-profit's new solar and solar thermal energy system.

PG&E donated $200,000 to install a solar photovoltaic (PV) and a solar thermal system for Project Open Hand, part of its $7.5 million commitment to increase solar power in San Francisco. The 22KW 34 panel PV system installed by SolarCity is expected to produce more than 30,000 kW hours of clean renewable energy that will have zero greenhouse gas emissions.

The solar thermal system, installed by Luminalt, is the first solar water heater system ever donated by PG&E and will allow Project Open Hand to save significantly on their hot water costs. The thermal system will produce enough energy to heat 170,000 gallons of water per year and reduce greenhouse gasses by almost 2 million pounds over its lifetime.

Combined, the two solar systems will save Project Open Hand over $12,000 annually in energy costs and over $600,000 over the life of the system. The savings will allow the non-profit to serve an additional 6,700 home-delivered meals a year.

Project Open Hand is a volunteer-based non-profit organization that offers hot meals, grocery service and nutrition education to men and women infected with HIV/AIDS, critically ill or homebound individuals, as well as people over the age of 60 years old in need of meal service or nutritional education.

"As part of the Bay Area community, and of this planet we all share, I believe Project Open Hand has to do its part by using resources carefully and prudently, and -- as much as possible -- through reducing our dependence on non-renewable resources," said Tom Nolan, Executive Director of Project Open Hand. "PG&E has been a longtime supporter of Project Open Hand and we were very gratified when they selected us, donating a complete 'solar system' supplying both electricity and hot water. We are very excited about this new endeavor and indebted to PG&E for its extremely generous contribution to the greening of Project Open Hand."

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