Many businesses and public entities, such as school districts and public transit organizations, have turned to distributed generation (DG) solar projects. With DG, power generated on-site is used to offset the need to purchase power from a utility. DG lowers power bills as it increases the use of renewable energy. It’s a win for the user and for the planet.
Blymyer Engineers has a long history for providing engineering services on DG projects in addition to utility-scale projects. We completed our first solar project in 2001—and we’ve delivered more than 500 since. On DG projects, Blymyer offers a range of services, including electrical and structural engineering, project management, and construction support. For projects that call for it, we can design systems that include energy storage.
“DG is definitely on the rise,” says Blymyer President Mike Rantz. “DG makes so much sense for organizations looking to renewable energy to help lower power bills. We’re working on a number of DG projects at the moment, with projects throughout California as well as in New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts and many cities and states. We’ve also provided our expertise on DG projects outside the US.”
Solar grows as costs decline
DG projects, like all types of solar, have benefited from steep declines in costs. For instance, the US Energy Department’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory estimated that the cost of commercial solar projects declined 15% in 2017. That same organization estimated that, when adjusted for inflation, commercial solar costs declined by more than half since 2010.
The following are just a few of the recent Blymyer projects that reflect the popularity and advantages of commercial DG:
Glendale Unified School District: SunPower chose Blymyer for assistance on a project involving 9 schools in the Glendale, California.
Lennox School District: This multisite project for the Lennox School District included solar canopies and ground mounted systems. The canopies provide shade as well as generate power. Frequent construction partner Swinerton led the project.
Monterey Regional Airport: OpTerra Energy Services led the installation of solar arrays over a 3-acre site at the airport. Expected to generate 1.5 million kWh annually, this DG project will reduce greenhouse emissions by 500 tons each year.
Explore other DG projects we’ve delivered.