It looks like our savings with the SolED solar project will NEVER HAPPEN. Recent price increases with electrical costs from PGE have eliminated all potential saving with our twenty year contract.
Marinwood will now be locked into a bad deal for TWENTY YEARS. The expensive custom solar carport at the Marinwood Pool many never fully recover its cost. SaveMarinwood di
warn the CSD about the SolEd project which was first suggested by former Marinwood CSD Cyane Dandridge in 2013 (and who interestingly profited from the deal). The public recognized the abnormally large cost of the power purchase agreement (PPA) vs an outright purchase. We paid anywhere from four to seven times the cost over a straight purchase. Our initial capital investment could be fully paid off in seven years.
David Kunhardt, CEO of SolEd formed a company a few months prior to bidding on the project. His financier, Richard Dovere, was a 29 year old entrepreneur from New York City who "specialized" in unique solar financing arrangements. SolEd had a similar contract with the City of St Helena and fired SolEd just about a month before Marinwood signed a contract. St. Helena was upset at the broken promises and delays.
Marinwood CSD was warned and provided evidence yet despite all commonsense warnings voted unanimously to enter into a twenty year contract with Soled and the SSGgroup.
Everyone said that we were getting "free solar energy" with the PPA. Now it looks like we got a TWENTY YEAR lesson about the word "free".
Eric Dreikosen, Marinwood CSD manager arrived after the initial consulting contract was signed but faithfully worked for over a year during the contract delays and the extended construction delays to see the deal through. He never once lost faith in the project or questioned the soundness of the proposal.
Oh well.
We now have more large projects in the pipeline. Will the Marinwood CSD repeat their mistakes? The kitchen in the firehouse and community center, replacing the maintenance shed and stream erosion repair could cost the district over a million dollars.
Will Marinwood CSD seek outside advice, serious consider cost savings, vet the qualifications of our business partners?
Let's hope so.
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| The Marinwood CSD got burnt |
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