As part of our shift from pilot mode to full-on commercial scale installations as well as our initiative to bring affordable solar power to DC, we at Skyline have been out talking to and meeting local property managers and developers. One such meeting was with Michael Kiefer, principal at Green DC Realty an innovative realty company in the DMV area that is focused on growing greener, more energy efficient communities across the DC metropolitan area.

As part of their effort to grow the local green community and highlight renewable energy in the District, Green DC Realty published and article about Skyline and our work (which can be read here). We look forward to working more with Green DC Realty and other sustainably oriented companies in the District.

Full text of the article below:

DC WARMING UP TO SOLAR THERMAL

As a team here at Green DC Realty we recently decided it was time that we start really looking around more at our “green” industry and high lighting the work of some the innovative companies in our backyard.

This week we are looking at Skyline Innovations an intriguing solar hot-water heating firm.

Many of us like the idea of going green, and particularly the idea of having our own renewable energy sources, however the cost can often be prohibitive. Other obstacles arise when it comes to living in multi-unit buildings; changes to communal space have to go through a condo board or property management agency which may be even more reluctant to shell out for expensive improvements – even if they pay off in the long run. Enter Skyline Innovations, a recent DC startup we came across that aims to take all of these hassles out of going green by providing clients with rooftop solar, without any of the costs.

Skyline Innovations is a renewable energy developer that has based its business model on that of conventional power companies. That is, they build and own power plants to generate and sell energy. It just so happens that their power plants are all solar and sit right on top of their clients’ roofs (as opposed to, say, in the middle of the Delmarva valley). This set up allows Skyline to sell their clients clean solar power at a guaranteed discount to the existing utility rates. Skyline will install and maintain solar power on your roof, and charge you only for the solar energy you consume, providing that energy at a price that is guaranteed to be lower than what you would pay for fossil fuel generated power from your existing provider.

The system that Skyline installs does not replace or interfere with a building’s existing systems, but instead augments them, generating and storing energy when the sun shines and providing that energy on demand. If, however, there is an extended period where the solar panels are unable to generate energy – say, for example, this year’s Snowpocalypse – a building can go on operating as normal, using conventional energy sources.

There is, however, a catch. In order for the business model to work, Skyline needs to target buildings with a large amount of energy consumption, which rules out most, if not all, single family residences. Additionally Skyline is utilizing solar water heating, a much more efficient, but less glamorized technology than photovoltaics – solar electricity. This has led the company to target a subsection of buildings normally overlooked in the renewable energy world, small and mid-size businesses like Laundromats, car washes, gyms and apartment buildings. The last of these forms the cornerstone of Skyline’s work within the District, where they have taken on an initiative to greatly expand access to affordable solar power.

It appears from our meetings with them that Skyline Innovations offers won’t work for everybody, but it could go a long way towards satisfying our renewable energy needs in the grand scheme of things. To that end, with three installations in the DC metro area and half a dozen more going up this summer, Skyline is already a leading source of renewable energy development in the city and hopes to use this opportunity make solar energy a reality for more than just larger corporate entities and wealthy suburban homeowners.

In concluding we are continually meeting with ever more firms in the DC area that lead us to believe that DC is and will be a hub for “smart” development initiatives.  If you know of a group that is doing something exciting that is bridging the divide in the green economy, do let us know.