SANTA ROSA -- Redwood Credit Union reported Wednesday that it is installing 2,036 solar panels on the roof of its administrative building at 3033 Cleveland Avenue in Santa Rosa. The solar array is expected to provide 60 percent of the building’s annual power requirements, and will be completed in early 2015.
[caption id="attachment_102009" align="alignleft" width="300"] Redwood Credit Union will add more than 2,000 solar panels to its roof.[/caption]
The system, designed by Novato-based SolarCraft, will produce up to 662 kilowatts of power when the sun shines. The cost is expected to be recovered in about 10 years.
“This long-term vision is becoming a reality,” said Brett Martinez, president and CEO of the credit union. “The savings on power costs make it a smart investment on behalf of our members.”
Redwood Credit Union purchased the 104,000-square-foot building in 2005 then conducted a remodel that earned a U.S. Green Building Council “LEED Silver” designation in 2008 – the first commercial building in Santa Rosa with such a designation.
More than 200 people work at the building, which houses both headquarters and a branch. The building also has a large community room used by local nonprofits and community organizations.
Mr. Martinez leads 425 employees in 18 branches from San Francisco to Ukiah, east to Sonoma and Napa, in eight counties.
The credit union was started in 1950, has $2.4 billion in assets and more than 237,000 members.
