The San Fernando Community Health Center (SFCHC) recently “flipped the switch” on a $298,000 solar installation project, becoming the first building owned by the City of San Fernando that will have solar power.
The 247-panel project is estimated to have an annual production of 169,100 kilowatt-hours. It will provide 60% of the clinic’s energy and eliminate 130 tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually. And SFCHC was able to receive these panels all at no cost.
The project was financed by Collective Energy, an energy company that will maintain and operate the system at no upfront cost to the center. SFCHC, for its part, will make monthly payments based on energy production at a flat rate for the next 15 years. After that, SFCHC will own the system.
The system has been tested and is functional. It now waits for the final sign-off from Southern California Edison for it to be connected to their grid, which could take up to three months.
Audrey Simons, SFCHC CEO, said they try to reduce costs wherever they can, as their revenue is set by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the state of California, prohibiting them from raising their fees even though inflation has increased their costs. So when Simons was approached by Andrew MacCalla, co-founder and CEO of Collective Energy, about the project, she was on board.
“We’re trying to be as aware of our footprint and our community as we can be, and that means that we need to be environmentally sustainable as much as we can and minimize our impact on the infrastructure of our community,” Simons said. “It made good sense from a lot of different angles, but the primary reason I was most interested was … we can mitigate the ever-increasing costs.”
The ceremonial launch of the solar project was held on Thursday, Aug. 8, during National Health Center Week. The theme of this year’s campaign was “Powering Communities Through Caring Connections.” Those who attended the ceremony included Simons, MacCalla, San Fernando Mayor Celeste Rodriguez, Vice Mayor Mary Mendoza and Councilmember Victoria Garcia.
MacCalla recounted how he formed Collective Energy around three years ago with the purpose of helping community health centers access cleaner, more reliable and affordable energy. The company has assisted centers in 30 states and territories across the United States, including SFCHC.
“We formed Collective Energy to make sure these doors can always stay open and not have to close [due] to a lack of power because, without power, the health center can’t do anything,” MacCalla said. “They can’t see a patient. They can’t give a vaccine to a child. Power is the baseline of their work, and in many places, especially in California, power is becoming less reliable and more expensive.”
Simons was one of the first people MacCalla approached about a solar installation project right after starting his company, having crossed paths with her in the past.
The project took around two years to complete. To install the panels, Collective Energy hired GRID Alternatives, a nonprofit solar installer. They were chosen, MacCalla said, because they have cohorts of trainees that go through installer basic training programs – which are free to the trainee. When they complete the program, the trainees are offered an apprenticeship to start their careers.
There were a number of such trainees who worked on the solar installation at SFCHC, including Jeremy Price, who grew up in the community and was once brought to the center when he was sick with chickenpox as a child.
Price said he had a rough childhood growing up, and he was incarcerated for 18 years when he was still in high school. After being released and living in a transitional home, he was approached by a GRID Alternatives spokesman about the training program. Feeling a desire to better himself, Price jumped at the opportunity.
“[Coming back here], it felt like everything was aligning,” Price said. “Seeing actual doors open and giving back to the community, it was really impactful for me to come back here.”
Simons thanked the City of San Fernando for its support and quick approval of the project. She added that, as a federally qualified health center, SFCHC holds a special responsibility in protecting the planet.
“Today’s event serves as a shining example that improving the health of our community and preserving the environment are linked and cannot be separated.”