SPRING 2014 • FLOURISH 13
wife of 20 years. Since joining the Shekou
family's real estate business – JHS Proper-
ties – in 1998, Herbst has overseen opera-
tions at the family-owned San Rafael Air-
port and helped manage over a half-million
square feet of office and industrial space in
Marin County. Over a decade ago, Herbst's
interest was piqued by the burgeoning so-
lar energy industry, and he turned to solar
power as a means of providing power to
the airport.
"Climate change was starting to gather
momentum," he says. "We put solar panels
on all three family homes and we went
solar at the airport in 2004. The econom-
ics were finally starting to make sense as
property owners."
Two years ago, in conjunction with the
Marin Energy Authority, which administers
Marin Clean Energy, the airport increased
the size of its solar power installation,
mounting 4,600 solar panels on 48 hangar
rooftops in order to feed energy into the
power grid for a profit. In the process, the
airport became home to the largest solar
farm in Marin County as well as the first
community choice aggregation-supported
solar power production facility in the state.
Not surprisingly, Herbst became the local
"poster boy" for solar power and an ambas-
sador of sorts for Marin Clean Energy.
"Since I completed the solar project,
I've been trying to encourage other people
to do similar projects. Marin Clean Energy
gives my name out to anybody interested
in doing solar projects."
Herbst is also looking for other ways to
improve the environment in Marin County.
As the San Rafael Chamber of Commerce's
vice chair of economic sustainability over-
seeing green business, he's working toward
the removal of automobile tires from local
tidal mud flats in San Rafael. And he cred-
its the City of San Rafael for encouraging
such environmental projects as well as re-
newable energy such as solar power.
"The City of San Rafael has one of the
best climate change action plans in the
Bob Herbst with his daughter Grace (age 13)
and son Ryan (age 9).
