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    DSD, Black Bear install Rooftop Solar arrays atop Bay Area Office Buildings in NoCal

    April 27, 2023
    The two rooftop solar systems at the Signature Center office buildings in Pleasanton were installed behind the meter and will directly serve a large percentage of the buildings’ electricity needs
    Image credit Newmark & Loopnet
    Signature Center Newmark 644ac55e5a4e2

    Two renewable developers worked together to complete two rooftop solar systems at the Signature Center office buildings in Pleasanton, California.

    DSD Renewables and Black Bear Energy collaborated on the project installing more than 550 kW of solar capacity at two office rooftops. The 282-kW and 272-kW arrays were installed behind the meter and will directly serve a large percentage of the buildings’ electricity needs, according to the companies.

    Together, the two rooftop solar systems could produce nearly 1,000 MWh of carbon-free electricity per year.  

    The buildings are owned and operated by Principal Asset Management.

    “These projects demonstrate our commitment to net zero carbon emissions by 2050,” Jennifer McConkey, managing director of ESG and Operations for real estate at Principal Asset Management. “The clean, renewable energy generated by these installations will be used to power our Signature Center buildings and minimize electricity costs.”

    DSD Renewables built the solar systems and owns them. Black Bear Energy is overseeing operations and deployment of the PV power.

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    The two Signature Center buildings in Pleasanton are the first in a serious of four office campuses owned by Principal Asset Management which will add solar power on-site. These future projects will include rooftop and canopy solar as well as energy storage and they are expected to be operational by the end of the year.

    “These first two projects have marked the beginning of a strong partnership between Principal Asset Management, Black Bear and DSD,” said Jason Chiang, senior director, origination of DSD. “We are honored to continue our work together, delivering clean energy to Principal’s buildings.”

    Prinicpal Asset Management is global investment business for publicly traded Principal Financial Group, managing $485 billion in assets.

    About the Author

    EnergyTech Staff

    Rod Walton is senior editor for EnergyTech.com. He has spent 14 years covering the energy industry as a newspaper and trade journalist.

    Walton formerly was energy writer and business editor at the Tulsa World. Later, he spent six years covering the electricity power sector for Pennwell and Clarion Events. He joined Endeavor and EnergyTech in November 2021.

    He can be reached at [email protected]. 

    EnergyTech is focused on the mission critical and large-scale energy users and their sustainability and resiliency goals. These include the commercial and industrial sectors, as well as the military, universities, data centers and microgrids.

    Many large-scale energy users such as Fortune 500 companies, and mission-critical users such as military bases, universities, healthcare facilities, public safety and data centers, shifting their energy priorities to reach net-zero carbon goals within the coming decades. These include plans for renewable energy power purchase agreements, but also on-site resiliency projects such as microgrids, combined heat and power, rooftop solar, energy storage, digitalization and building efficiency upgrades.