A Vision for Long-Term Sustainability
The Forum at Rancho San Antonio is a continuing care retirement community (CCRC) in Cupertino, California. Citadel Roofing & Solar was hired to complete a sustainability initiative that combined roofing, solar, and battery storage planning under a single contractor. The project included panel installations totaling 1,016 kW of solar, multiple roofing types, and coordination across both residential and commercial utility rate structures. The Forum's goal extended beyond reducing utility costs. Community leadership sought a long-term infrastructure investment that would support sustainability, resiliency, and future energy needs for years to come. Stakeholders viewed the project as a legacy investment rather than simply a cost-saving initiative.
The Forum needed a long-term partner, not just a contractor. The project was built on trust and collaboration across multiple years. The long-term relationship between Citadel and The Forum continues to support future energy initiatives, including the potential expansion of battery storage.
Project Overview w/ Key Statistics
- Location: Cupertino, California
- Community type: continuing care retirement community (CCRC)
- Solar capacity: 1,016 kW (1.016 MW)
- Project scope: roofing, solar, and battery-ready planning
- Project timeline: 3 years
- Project Financing: 3rd-party Power Purchase Agreement (PPA)
- Number of commercial buildings reroofed: 9
- Number of villas reroofed: 60
- Total annual electricity output: 1.5 million kWh
The Challenge
Utility and Regulatory Complexity
At The Form, the solar assets are community-owned, while the property includes individually owned villas and rental residences. In addition to the size and complexity of the project, this community’s ownership model presented its own challenges. Approvals involving both commercial and residential utility rate structures had to be coordinated. Citadel worked closely with PG&E to secure the necessary authorizations and address utility requirements across multiple property classifications.
The project also faced a looming deadline tied to California's transition from NEM 2.0 to NEM 3.0, requiring approvals and utility coordination to be completed within a narrow timeframe.
Scale of the Project
At 1,016 kW, the project was equivalent in scale to approximately 141 average residential solar systems. Permitting, engineering, scheduling, procurement, and installation had to be coordinated across several buildings. Citadel managed logistics on a project that’s far larger than a typical residential solar installation and required coordination on a community-wide scale.
Financing a Complex Project
The Forum's unique ownership model also created financing challenges. Unlike a traditional residential PPA, where a third-party provider works directly with a homeowner, this project involved a shared solar system owned by The Forum and serving its residents. Securing a third-party Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) required additional coordination and a financing partner willing to support the project's unique ownership and utility structure.
Multiple Stakeholders and Decision-Making
Another challenge arose from project stakeholders with differing priorities and perspectives. Input from community leadership, board members, and residents had to be managed.
Roofing Complexity
Before solar installation could even begin, aging roofing systems across the community needed to be addressed. The work spanned multiple roof types, including tile, asphalt shingle, and metal roofing systems. Rather than using a one-size-fits-all approach, Citadel based design solutions on existing building conditions and solar requirements.
The team could not simply choose the easiest roofs to work on. Solar placement was based on production requirements and sun exposure. Additionally, various roof types needed to be adapted to support solar installations.
The Solution
To address these challenges, Citadel developed an integrated project strategy that combined roofing, solar, and battery storage planning under a single contractor. Rather than treating each component as a separate project, the team approached the work as a coordinated infrastructure investment designed to support the community's long-term sustainability goals.
This approach eliminated many of the challenges that result from working with multiple contractors. It reduced scheduling conflicts, simplified project accountability, and allowed major infrastructure decisions to be made with future battery storage expansion in mind.
Beyond roofing and solar construction, Citadel also coordinated the utility, financing, and project planning needed to move a highly complex infrastructure project from concept to completion. The team helped secure a unique third-party Power Purchase Agreement (PPA), overcoming another major hurdle and creating a path for continued investment in solar and battery storage as the community's needs evolve.
"The Forum project demonstrates what's possible when roofing, solar, and battery storage are planned together from the start. By taking an integrated approach, the project delivered long-term sustainability benefits while simplifying execution and accountability."
– Jim Perteet, Senior Sales and Project Manager, Citadel Roofing and Solar
Project Execution
Phase 1: Roofing
The construction phase began with a comprehensive assessment of the various roofs to determine which areas could be preserved and which would need replacement and upgrading. Citadel’s extensive roofing experience played a critical role. Having started as a roofing company decades ago, Citadel was able to approach the project with expertise that many solar-only installers simply do not possess.
Multiple roofing systems were utilized throughout the project, including standing seam metal and coated low-slope assemblies. Successfully integrating these different systems required specialized roofing expertise that helped ensure long-term durability, roof integrity, and reliable solar performance. Citadel also preserved existing warranties where newer roofs could remain in place to save the client money and time.
In some areas, the team chose to implement a hybrid solution featuring asphalt shingles beneath solar arrays, while preserving existing concrete tile roofing materials where appropriate. Specialized custom transitions and interfaces were designed and added between roofing materials to ensure weather resistance and long-term performance.
Phase 2: Solar Installation
Citadel installed a 1,016 kW solar system across the community, requiring extensive coordination across multiple buildings, roof types, and construction phases. The system was designed to support The Forum's long-term sustainability goals while providing meaningful reductions in grid electricity consumption.
Phase 3: Batteries & Energy Storage
The project was designed to accommodate future battery storage. This forward-looking approach allows The Forum to expand energy storage capabilities over time, improving resilience during outages and supporting the community's long-term energy strategy.
Results
A Community-Scale Energy Investment
Citadel successfully completed the solar and roofing project at the Forum at Rancho San Antonio. The total number of solar panels installed was over 2,500. The arrays generate about 1.5 million kWh of electricity annually.
Roofing and Solar Infrastructure Upgrades
Before the panels were installed, Citadel upgraded or replaced 69 roofs throughout the community. It was necessary to address these aging roof systems before the solar installation could begin. Customized roofing solutions were designed and implemented to support long-term solar performance across various types of roof structures. Wherever possible, existing warranties were preserved while the overall roof’s durability and service lives were improved.
Long-Term Cost Predictability and Sustainability
The community now benefits from a long-term source of renewable electricity. The team was able to meet critical project milestones before California’s transition from NEM 2.0 to NEM 3.0. Securing approval before the transition allowed The Forum to maintain a more favorable utility credit structure, improving long-term cost predictability for decades to come.
The project supported The Forum's broader sustainability objectives through a coordinated roofing and solar strategy. While the project provides meaningful financial benefits, the Forum's primary objective was to create a sustainable long-term energy strategy that would benefit the community for decades.
Improved Resilience and Future Expansion Potential
Through roofing upgrades and reinforcements, Citadel established a foundation for future battery storage development across the community and installed 25 battery systems to provide critical energy resilience during outages and grid disruptions. For a retirement community, power reliability provides an added layer of comfort, security, and operational stability for residents.
This upgraded infrastructure was designed to support energy storage expansion as the community's needs evolve. The project positions the community for continued investment in energy independence and sustainability initiatives.
Recognition From The Forum
In recognition of the project's success, The Forum presented Citadel with its Forum Friends of the Earth Award. The award acknowledged Citadel's contributions to the community's sustainability goals and its commitment to delivering a long-term roofing, solar, and energy infrastructure solution.
Foundation for an Ongoing Partnership
The long-term relationship established between Citadel and the Forum is ongoing. Trust was established early in the project, and that trust grew through years of planning and execution.
Throughout the project, Citadel remained focused on serving the community’s long-term interests. This successful partnership laid the groundwork for future initiatives, which include expanded battery storage and power resilience initiatives. The end result perfectly aligns with the Forum’s long-term vision for sustainability, resilience, and infrastructure stewardship.
Why This Project Stands Out
There are several factors that make the Forum Villas solar project unique. The first and most standout is the sheer size of the project. It also required Citadel to coordinate roofing, solar, utility, and stakeholder requirements across an exceptionally large and diverse community.
The physical construction was equally complex, with multiple roof types, aging infrastructure, permitting requirements, and stakeholder priorities throughout the project lifecycle. The project also required a custom hybrid roofing approach that combined asphalt shingles beneath solar arrays with existing tile roofing, requiring carefully engineered transitions and expertise across multiple roofing systems.
In the end, the project represents nearly three years of planning and execution, all performed while maintaining quality, accountability, and project continuity.
Looking Ahead
The Forum project was never intended to be a one-time installation. The work was planned as part of a broader, long-term sustainability strategy.
With roofing and solar infrastructure now in place, the community is positioned to expand battery storage capabilities in future phases.
The project also reflects the ongoing relationship between The Forum and Citadel. What began as a complex roofing and solar initiative has evolved into a long-term partnership focused on maintaining, improving, and expanding the community's energy infrastructure for years to come.
Media Contacts
Citadel Roofing & Solar
Alma Kullenstein, Senior Marketing Manager
akullenstein@citadelrs.com
