Cogenra Solar has announced a solar cogeneration project at Facebook's new Menlo Park campus. Producing renewable hot water and electricity, the solar cogeneration array will be integrated on the roof of the renovated fitness center. Selected for its quick payback and dual energy production, the Cogenra array is the social media company's first foray into solar energy at its corporate campus.

"Our work with Cogenra's systems represents our initial investment in sustainable energy for our new headquarters in Menlo Park," said John Tenanes, Facebook's Director of Global Real Estate.

Facebook purchased and renovated the 57-acre corporate site in Menlo Park from Oracle with the full 2,000-employee transition from its Palo Alto headquarters to be completed in December.

Once commissioned, the solar cogeneration system will feed hot water and electricity directly to the site's 10,163 square foot fitness center, powering gym equipment, lighting and showers with clean, renewable energy.

The 24-module installation totals 60kW of combined electric and thermal output, which will displace more than 60 percent of the fitness center's natural gas needs, in addition to a portion of its grid-fed electricity consumption. System installation and integration into the site's facilities will be initiated by the end of the year.

The Facebook installation will be the first corporate campus to realize the environmental and economic benefits of solar cogeneration.

By integrating proven photovoltaic (PV) and solar thermal technologies into one modular and scalable package, Cogenra's solution is able to generate five times the energy, three times the greenhouse gas reduction and twice the financial savings compared to traditional photovoltaic systems.

The higher energy offset and enhanced economics of the hybrid technology ensure Cogenra's systems offer returns in less than five years.

"While often overlooked compared to traditional electricity demands, corporate campuses and other community-based facilities, all require large amounts of hot water on a daily basis. With Cogenra's unique combination, the hot water and electricity components complement one another, further optimizing energy output and returns," said Dr. Gilad Almogy, CEO of Cogenra.

"Facebook has recognized the inherent advantages in Cogenra's hybrid solution, and we are honored to partner with them on this premier installation, as well as future projects down the road."

In addition to the initial Facebook installation, Cogenra is currently developing projects throughout California and Arizona focusing on multi-family living and community environments.

In the past few months, the company has announced multiple projects at a large assisted living site that will integrate solar cogeneration systems into its laundry and recreational facilities, as well as a student dormitory at the University of Arizona.