Lafayette, CO—Colorado C-PACE announced today that Michelle & David Livingston will leverage C-PACE financing to install solar photovoltaic (PV) arrays at their two businesses. The owners plan to install a 16 kW ground mount solar PV array at The Delta Elevator located at 551 West 5^th Street in Delta, and a 10 kW roof mount solar PV array at Sunshine Mesa Farm on 3600 Road in Hotchkiss.

Michelle Livingston said, “We began our farming adventure in 2017 with the goal of raising chickens in a humane and environmentally sustainable manner. Converting to solar power is a major step in our long-term plans for the farm. We want our pastured poultry operation to be a model of eco-friendly egg production.”

In 2019, David and Michelle Livingston purchased The Delta Elevator, a local feed business. At the time they had no big changes in mind. But early this year, when they looked at the benefits of solar for the chicken farm, it occurred to them that adding solar to The Delta Elevator building would maximize the environmental and financial benefits from their two businesses.

David Livingston said, “Running a successful farm and granary requires close attention to our bottom line. We were looking for ways to reduce our expenses and moving towards greater energy efficiency provides financial sustainability for years to come. Colorado’s C-PACE program allowed us to finance 100 percent of the project costs, and the solar will ultimately pay for itself.”

Atlasta Solar, solar contractors based in Western Colorado, will install both solar arrays. Charlie Cooper of Atlasta Solar said, “Between C-PACE financing and the incentives and rebates currently available, there couldn’t be a better time to convert to solar energy, which, from day one, will decrease expenses and increase the asset value of both businesses.”

Pueblo-based PACE Conservation Solutions, selected by the owners through CO C-PACE’s open market, provided the $130,230 in total financing for both projects. Keith Willy, owner of PACE Conservation Solutions, found these projects with Michelle and Dave to be particularly rewarding.  “It’s exciting to provide PACE capital to small businesses in rural Colorado and to demonstrate the efficacy of our model with Ag businesses. I’m grateful for the opportunity to do this business in Delta County and with great business people in the form of Michelle and Dave.”

 

About The Delta Elevator and Sunshine Mesa Farm

To learn more about The Delta Elevator and Sunshine Mesa Farm, read the High Country Shopper’s January 2020 article.

About Colorado C-PACE

A program of the New Energy Improvement District (NEID), administered by Sustainable Real Estate Solutions, Colorado C-PACE facilitates financing for energy and water improvements in new and existing commercial buildings, including new heating/cooling systems, lighting, water pumps, insulation, and renewable energy projects. C-PACE offers long-term financing that covers 100 percent of the project cost and is repaid over a period of up to 25 years. The payments are structured as a regular line item on the property tax bill.  When a property is sold, the C-PACE assessment can stay with the property and transfer to the new owner, who enjoys the ongoing utility cost savings associated with the project.

About SRS

Sustainable Real Estate Solutions (SRS) partners with state and local governments to administer commercial property assessed clean energy (C-PACE) programs. Founded in 2010 by experienced commercial real estate and energy efficiency professionals, the company’s proprietary technology-enabled PACEworx™ Platform streamlines the management of the data-intensive C-PACE technical and financial underwriting process. SRS’s Investor Confidence Project-credentialed quality assurance methodology has facilitated more than $315 million in C-PACE financing nationwide. SRS empowers C-PACE public-private partnerships across the country. The company is based in Trumbull, Connecticut.