Commercial Project

Roofing + Solar Energy for OLE Health in Napa, CA

Taking the first step in actualizing on a robust sustainability plan with the installation of a substantial solar array at its Napa Valley Vintners North Napa Campus, effectively offsetting 73 tons of carbon every year.

Project Details

Objectives

About the Client

CommuniCare+OLE is the result of a 2023 union of two health centers with deep roots in their respective communities and reputations for providing high-quality primary care to all, regardless of insurance or ability to pay: OLE Health of Napa and Solano Counties and CommuniCare Health Centers of Yolo County. Building on a legacy established by both organizations in 1972, CommuniCare+OLE is a network of federally qualified health centers with 17 sites across Napa, Solano, and Yolo Counties. They offer comprehensive care, including medical, dental, behavioral health and substance use treatment, nutrition, optometry, pharmacy, care coordination, referrals, and enrollment assistance to more than 70,000 individuals, and no one is turned away due to lack of insurance, immigration status, or ability to pay. Many services are offered outside of our sites, including mobile health, home visiting, and community and school-based programs.

Challenges

There were major space constraints on the roof for the solar panels to be placed on productive roof planes. There was not enough space in the equipment room to fit the inverters and electrical switchgear. OLE needed funding in order to implement the project.

Simmitri’s Solution

Simmitri worked with the fire jurisdiction for a special fire variance approval to encroach on the fire setbacks to maximize the most productive roof planes with solar. This was key in making the economics of the project work. Since there was not enough space in the equipment room to fit the inverters and electrical switchgear, we engineered and built a custom racking solution to mount the gear to. The solar panels were made possible by donations from the community as part of the Fund-A-Need to renovate the North Napa Campus during this year’s Vida OLE celebration. Additional support came in the form of federal funding through the Inflation Reduction Act, making CommuniCare+OLE one of the first health centers in the country to complete a solar project leveraging those funds.