The Dinwiddie Nursing & Rehabilitation Center recently became the first healthcare facility in Virginia to embrace clean energy technology with the addition of a solar energy system.
Managed by Commonwealth Care of Roanoke, Va., the 60-bed skilled nursing facility in Petersburg partnered with Asheville, N.C.-based SolTherm to install a solar hot water system with no upfront capital investment.
SolTherm, a “clean energy services” firm, offers a NoCapEx program for capital projects like Dinwiddie’s. It works by monetizing tax credits generated by the solar energy systems and packaging them for tax credit investors.
“We were thrilled to learn about SolTherm and have the opportunity to participate in their NoCapEx program,” said David Tucker, Commonwealth Care’s chief operating officer. “This allowed the project to fall within our budget and gives us the opportunity to use the savings to continue to provide the best care for our patients.”
According to Tucker, Dinwiddie can expect to immediately reduce its hot water energy costs by 20 percent, adding up to $149,000 over the life of the 15-year agreement.
The installation of the 32 panels at the facility took just three weeks, said Commonwealth's Facility Environmental Services Director Terry Sutherland.
“I am very happy with the decision we made to work with SolTherm Energy,” he said. “Every issue they looked at was taken care of, and their addition to our facility fit right into the natural beauty of the place.”