By: Jonathan Hiskes, Sustainable Industries Magazine

Published: Jun 17 2011 – 10:18am

When Stanley Florek, an M.B.A. student at Bainbridge Graduate Institute, began considering new possibilities for solar-energy businesses a few years ago, he quickly made two discoveries. First, Pacific Northwesterners were surprisingly eager to put their money toward solar power. And second, few residents had both large, unshaded roofs and $20,000 or so available for a home rooftop array. (In Seattle, particularly, 50 percent of residents are renters.)

Florek researched community-scale solar projects that let neighbors add rooftop arrays all at once, saving through bulk purchases. But those didn’t help renters or others without a suitable roof.

What if neighbors, instead, could pool their money and invest in a collaborative project on the roof of a community center or government building? And what if they could gain an ownership stake while doing so?

He settled on the metaphor of a tangerine, divisible into “SunSlices” that would let residents pay $1,000 for an ownership stake in a larger project, earning a return of $100 a year until the investment was paid off. After that, the community could decide what to do with the project.

He launched Tangerine Power (originally Tangerine Solar) on that concept two years ago. Now, with its first project underway in the Seattle suburb of Edmonds, he’s hopeful he’s got a scalable new model for distributed solar.

“We’re very interested in giving people not just a sense of ownership, but actually control over their local energy future,” he told me this week in his office – on a tugboat on Seattle’s South Lake Union. “There are a lot of people will to sell you stuff, but not as many people willing to help you get empowered.”

In Edmonds, Tangerine Power partnered with the local group Sustainable Edmonds to put a $40,000 array on the Frances Anderson Community Center. Having a local partner has been so helpful that Florek says he’ll try to do the same on all projects. (He compares the projects to barnraisings that work only with a lot of help.)

The hardware comes from Silicon Energy of Marysville, Wash., since the state offers incentives for projects that use Washington-made equipment. Tangerine is now hashing out terms for a second project on the City of Bellevue Service Center. It’s in the midst of an angel funding round and hopes to expand throughout the nation in the coming years.

In Edmonds, investors should have their initial investment of $1,000 returned in about 10 years. After that, they’ll vote on whether to keep the array, sell it to the local utility, or dismantle it. Until then, they have a way of investing that’s closer to home than most stock purchases but more lucrative than a pure donation.

“If they’re watching news and tearing their hair out over it, this is something they can do in their community that has a concrete impact,” Florek said. “They’re bringing green energy to their community.”

http://sustainableindustries.com/articles/2011/06/community-solar-folks-without-sunny-roofs

This article on Tangerine Power made it to the Business Section of the Sunday Seattle Times:

Buy a ray of sunshine

Nick Visser, Seattle Times

(1/30/2011) Stanley Florek is trying to get people to see the light.

His company, Fremont-based Tangerine Power, is looking to spark interest in “crowd-funded clean energy systems” — solar-panel arrays funded by local community members.

Florek is working on Tangerine’s first co-op project, a $40,000 solar-panel setup on the roof of the Frances Anderson Community Center in Edmonds.

To finance the solar system, Tangerine Power is selling interested parties $1,000 chunks of the project — Florek calls them SunSlices.

Once the system is running, the solar power will be paid for, and used by, the community center, replacing around $4,000 of traditional electricity purchases annually. Florek said the initial investment should be returned within 10 years, at a rate of about $100 a year per SunSlice.

Chris Herman, chairman of the group Sustainable Edmonds, initiated the partnership with Tangerine after looking into greener alternatives for city energy use. Sustainable Edmonds hopes to have all the necessary permits and agreements finalized by mid-February, he said.

The solar panels should last at least 30 years, Florek said. After the initial 10-year deal expires, investors could reach a new agreement with the city.

Florek and his team at 2-year-old Tangerine — CFO Andrew Boyd and Chief Customer Officer Marc Pollard — hope to facilitate more such deals.

Edmonds resident Carlo Voli was the first person to buy a SunSlice. Voli said that his interest in green power began with a few solar panels on his own roof to offset his energy usage. When he heard about Herman’s plans, he decided to invest in the co-op model, rather than adding more to his own system.

“The idea of combining renewable solar power with a cooperative model like this was extremely attractive,” he said.

PCC Natural Markets also pledged money for a SunSlice in the Edmonds project.

Although Tangerine won’t begin actively marketing the project until all of the arrangements with Edmonds are finalized, the Frances Anderson project has already raised $14,000 solely through word-of-mouth.

Voli said the chance to jump-start the effort was inspiring.

“I think it’s just a wonderful example that can be replicated by a lot of other cities and communities and organizations around the state,” he said.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/sundaybuzz/2014059511_sundaybuzz30.html

News Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Dec. 21, 2010

For more information contact:

Tangerine Power, hello@tangerinepower.com, www.tangerinepower.com/edmonds

Frances Anderson Center Going Solar – Up to 75 kilowatts

Project is the first community-owned solar cooperative in Washington state.

(Edmonds, WA) – Sustainable Edmonds, in partnership with Tangerine Power, has begun offering SunSlices (a share in the total solar array) to all Snohomish PUD residents and businesses.  The Edmonds Community Solar Cooperative was formed to own and manage the 75-kilowatt community solar energy system in downtown Edmonds at the Anderson Frances Center. “This is first community-owned solar cooperative in Washington state”, stated Chris Herman, Chairman of Edmonds Community Solar Cooperative. “The community is encouraged to participate in the community project by becoming cooperative members who then own and manage the solar array with a return on the investment expected by the year 2020”, added Herman.

Seattle-based Tangerine Power will manage the installation of the solar energy system on the roof of the Frances Anderson Center, a City of Edmonds-owned community center located at 700 Main St. The full system will produce about 75,000 kilowatt hours annually – a significant share of the center’s electrical use – and is estimated to save the City of Edmonds more than $45,000 over the next 20 years. Minimum $1,000 shares in the project – known as SunSlices – went on sale last week with some early participants signing up the first two days, and who want the City of Edmonds to take the lead in reducing carbon dioxide and dependence on fossil fuels.

Sustainable Edmonds, a non-profit, volunteer-run citizens’ organization, started in 2008, initiated the project, and the cooperative, with support of the City of Edmonds. Sustainable Edmonds selected Tangerine Power as the developer and administrator of the project.

To jump start clean-energy projects, the State of Washington is now offering incentives for those who participate in community solar projects in which multiple owners or contributors provide the upfront capital funding, and then receive incentives and payments for the value of the electricity produced over time proportional to their stake in the overall project.

“This program allows everyone – home and condo owners, renters and business owners – an opportunity to participate in affordable solar,” said Mark Mays, a board member of the Edmonds Community Solar Cooperative who also sits on the Sustainable Edmonds board.

The average cost for bringing solar power to a home is $25,000 to $30,000, and eligible homes must meet other criteria, such as having an appropriate roof with minimal obstructions that block the sun. “Joining a community solar cooperative is a more affordable way to participate in clean energy projects that reduce greenhouse gases and generate clean energy,” Herman said. “You can purchase a solar panel or two, and then receive a share of the energy and incentives generated indirectly through a rebate to cooperative members.”

Tangerine Power CEO and founder Stanley Florek said his company created the “SunSlice” concept to describe the individual shares that cooperative members purchase. “Our mission is to generate clean solar energy across the nation, and make solar affordable by setting up and managing community cooperative solar gardens like the one in Edmonds,” Florek said.

Washington State currently offers a $1.08 per kWh incentive for solar electricity that is generated, if it is classified as a community solar project.  On average, City of Edmonds customers pay between $.06 and $.08 cents a kWh, so the state rebates a majority of the payments to community members who joined the cooperative and purchased shares in the project.

SunSlices are available for those interested in being part of the Edmonds Community Solar Cooperative. A goal for the first wave of SunSlices was set by the cooperative of a minimum of 40 SunSlices by Dec. 24 to ensure the project is funded and can proceed. Herman stated that currently we are 15% to 20% there.  Visit www.tangerinepower.com/edmonds to learn more and join online.

About Tangerine Power: Tangerine Power, founded in 2009, is a “for-benefit” company that develops community energy projects in partnership with local organizations like Sustainable Edmonds. Tangerine is bringing the successful European model for cooperative clean energy development home to the U.S. For more information, visit: www.tangerinepower.com

About Sustainable Edmonds: Sustainable Edmonds is a 501(c)3 non-profit, Board run, independent local citizens’ organization, formed in 2008, open to all who are interested in the many facets of sustainability. The group’s mission is to help Edmonds to become ecologically, economically, and socially sustainable. For more information, visit www.sustainable-edmonds.org

Andrew has over 20 years of experience in finance and business administration and brings to Tangerine a blend of corporate and start-up expertise. He has been a licensed CPA in the State of Washington since 1991. Andrew holds a BA in Business Administration (Cum Laude) from the University of Washington.

Early in his career, Andrew worked with KPMG Peat Marwick, where he focused on Audits of Healthcare and High Tech clients. Andrew spent several years in the healthcare industry, most notably with DaVita Healthcare (NYSE-DVA) where he served as Assistant Controller and Director of Accounting. He was CFO for NetVersant Seattle and held Controller positions for Microsoft and Reflex Communications.

Andrew Co-Founded Atigeo LLC, a data pattern recognition and personalization software company in 2005, and oversaw the Finance, Legal, HR, IT, and Facilities functions, and raised over $33M in private equity financing.

Andrew volunteers his time heavily to the soccer community. He is an active USSF Soccer referee and can be found on the pitch most Sunday afternoons. He volunteers administrative time as the Treasurer of the Washington State Soccer Referee Committee.

To reach Andrew, email him at andrew.boyd (at) tangerinesolar.com

Stanley Florek, CEO, Tangerine Solar
Neighborhood solar models are emerging with innovative approaches to financing, ownership and maintenance. Hear about the legal, financial and related issues in private/public ownership models.

Community Energy Roadmap conference agenda.

Press from the Corvallis Gazette Times,  Corvallis Public School District, and Walmart.

SUSTAINABILITY FAIR & TOWN HALL 2010 Thursday, March 11, 2010 5:30-7 pm – Exhibits/Snacks 7-9 pm – Meeting/Action CH2MHill Alumni Center, 204 Ch2m Hill Alumni Ctr Drive, Corvallis, OR 97331. Organizing Sponsor is the Corvallis Sustainability Coalition, a group of over 150 citizens, nonprofits, and businesses advocating for positive action towards city-wide sustainability action: http://www.sustainablecorvallis.org/

Tom Banse, NPR
02/22/2010

Millions of Northwest electricity customers have the option to pay a little bit extra on their monthly bills to support green energy. In the coming years, that voluntary option could take a back seat to a mandatory, but invisible charge on electric bills. Policymakers along the West Coast are working on a new green energy incentive. It relies not on tax dollars, as is traditional, but rather on ratepayer dollars. Correspondent Tom Banse reports on how it would work.

…

Solar developer Stanley Florek of Seattle’s Tangerine Solar says the fixed, premium purchase price gives suppliers certainty they’ll recover the high costs they pay upfront.

Florek: “You get that investment paid back with a modest return guaranteed on top. As a result, you may be foolish not to have a solar system or wind farm in your neighborhood because that property is sitting there not making money for your neighborhood.”

Full Story here: http://www.kuow.org/program.php?id=19510