Electricity Focus: Solar PV
Project Description: Although the City of Menlo Park is located in California’s Silicon Valley, its Belle Haven neighborhood has traditionally been underserved and has lacked amenities found in other Bay Area communities. When Menlo Park partnered with Meta to build a new Belle Haven community center — replete with a senior center, youth center, recreational pool, and branch library — sustainability was a core component of the project. The city partnered with OPTERRA Energy Services to roll out a sustainable microgrid that incorporates solar PV generation and battery energy storage. The first phase of the project is complete. Once the utility has finalized its approval, the microgrid will deliver energy to the public grid for reimbursement and smooth out the community center’s spikes in demand during regular operations. In the event of a grid outage, the system will power the entire community center for 24 hours (longer if non-essential systems are shut off). A second phase, which adds more solar PV capacity, is now under way, with completion expected in April 2026.The project also included installation of chargers for up to 27 electric vehicles at a time. Finally, the combination of a heat exchanger and solar thermal collectors running under the solar PV panels provides heat for the community center pool.OPTERRA designed and installed these systems, and will manage their operations and maintenance for the next 20 years.
Key Metrics & Outcomes
Initial Capital Investment: $3.4 million
Incentives: Cash Grants
Tax Credits: Projected $1mil. IRA
Lifetime Cost Savings: $6.9 Million
Payback Period: 12-13 years.
Installed Capacity (e.g., MW, GW): 546 KW PV, 367 KW BESS
Amount of Energy Produced or Saved (kWh, MWh, etc.): 900,000 kwhr
Carbon Emissions Reduction (tons of CO2 equivalent): 139
Efficiency Improvements (e.g., % increase): new facility
Financing Details: Energy Efficiency Performance Contract (EEPC)
Lessons Learned & Best Practices
Success Factors: The strong partnership between the City of Menlo Park and OPTERRA Energy Services enabled smooth construction of a sustainable energy solution that overcame complex technical and operational challenges. An innovative performance contracting arrangement, along with $1.5 million in grants and incentives, made the initiative possible. Reductions in ongoing utility costs and smoothing of peak demand charges will enable the project to pay for itself in 13 years or less, then save the city another $6.9 million over the remainder of the project’s lifecycle. Now, the historically underserved Belle Haven neighborhood has a modern community center that does not exacerbate local air-quality issues. The campus is expected to achieve net-zero energy consumption and LEED platinum certification. Its new EV charging stations make electric vehicles feasible for residents in multifamily housing, extending the air-quality benefits. In addition, its resiliency during grid outages (without relying on diesel generators) enables the community center to serve as a certified Red Cross shelter in the event of a grid outage.
Failure Factors/Challenges: Challenges that OPTERRA and Menlo Park had to overcome include supply chain delays; a slow approval process by the local utility; and complexities that arose as the public began using community center facilities before completion of the energy project.
Scalability and Replicability: The core concepts of the project can absolutely be applied in other municipalities, bringing cost savings, resiliency, and sustainability together within a single initiative. In other communities, OPTERRA is already using the same model to build microgrids for school districts, healthcare facilities, and other public entities that require energy resiliency, especially those in areas prone to natural disasters.
Innovative Strategies/Approaches: This initiative demonstrated an innovative public/private partnership model, in which Meta, OPTERRA, and the City of Menlo Park worked together to bring a modern community center to a historically underserved area. The $1.5 million in grants and incentives that OPTERRA secured helped the city further lower costs. And the fact that the city’s savings on utility charges will fully pay for the project over a little more than a decade means this approach to energy sustainability is within reach for communities throughout the U.S.
References and Sources
Industry Reports: • https://www.naesco.org/2024/11/17/ameresco-and-engie-services-u-s-inc-win-industry-leading-award-recognizing-outstanding-projects-through-performance-contracting-and-member-collaboration/
Government or NGO Reports: • https://betterbuildingssolutioncenter.energy.gov/sites/default/files/attachments/Belle%20Haven%20Community%20Campus%20Case%20Study.pdf
Interviews or Case Study Testimonials: N/A
Project Details
Project Address: 100 Terminal Ave, Menlo Park, CA
Completion Status: Completed
New Construction or Retrofit: New Construction
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