Case Studies

CITY UNION MISSION

Since 1924, City Union Mission has provided warm beds, nutritious food and a place of safety for thousands of poverty-stricken and homeless men, women, and children.

The Challenge

City Union Mission depends completely on gifts – individuals, churches, groups, foundations, and businesses who have a heart for the poor and homeless. Every dollar counts, and their electricity costs were an uncontrollable operating expense.

The Solution

City Union Mission partnered with the Brightergy-Black and Veatch alliance to install solar energy systems on the rooftops of five of their buildings. Generating their own solar energy will save the faith-based shelter approximately $400,000 in energy expenses over the next 20 years, ensuring more funds for their mission. The solar energy installations will also lock in their energy prices for the lifetime of the array. Brightergy’s innovative lease financing meant the Mission could install the panels at no upfront cost – and start saving from day one.

Entergy

Entergy New Orleans is leading the way with its distributed generation project. Brightergy is partnering with Entergy on a 5 MW solar distributed generation pilot program. All 5 MW will be located within Orleans Parish. A combination of rooftop and ground-mounted systems, the project will be owned by Entergy and the benefits will be shared among all of Entergy’s customers.

On this groundbreaking program, Brightergy will design, engineer, construct and commission each part of the distributed system. The project will be a boon to the local economy and provide additional employment to contractors and electricians.

Read the New Orleans Advocate article about the project.

Read Entergy's press release.

UMass Amherst

Located on the campus of the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, this system totals 5.5 MW (DC) and features more than 15,000 individual panels spread across parking canopies on two separate parking lots and five rooftops.

This system was financed through a PPA agreement under which the University will purchase the power for use by the campus.

Read more about the project here.