On July 26, 2023, the City Commission referred item C4 K to the Public Safety and Neighborhood Quality of Life Committee to discuss options for incorporating solar energy panels on select City buildings or other public spaces, as part of City capital projects. The item is sponsored by Commissioner Laura Dominguez.

The City of Miami Beach has reduced barriers for the expansion of solar energy installations community-wide and identified municipal buildings where it would be feasible to install solar panels. The City has been compiling an annual greenhouse gas emissions inventory community-wide and for government operations since 2014. This data shows that the largest source of emissions is from energy use in buildings and the built environment. On April 21, 2021, the City Commission unanimously adopted Resolution No. 2021-31664 pledging to achieve net-zero GHG emissions by 2050.

Solar energy is a leading renewable energy source with immense potential. Considering the growing urgency to transition to clean energy, it is essential for the City to integrate solar panels into the City's capital projects, to the fullest extent possible. Incorporating solar panels in capital projects can significantly reduce the City's carbon footprint and contribute to mitigating the effects of climate change. Solar panels can also help improve the energy efficiency of buildings and infrastructure by generating power locally, reducing transmission losses, and alleviating strain on the electrical grid. Moreover, solar installations can enhance the City's resilience by providing a decentralized energy source during power outages or emergencies.

In May 2019, the City of Miami Beach achieved the SolSmart Gold Designation. SolSmart is a new national technical assistance and designation program, funded by the U.S. Department of Energy SunShot Initiative, that seeks to address “solar soft costs,” or business process/administrative costs that can increase the time and money it takes to install a solar energy system. Miami Beach was recognized, in part, for its building permit fee waiver and fee waiver for application for land development public hearing related only to a solar roof (Ordinance No. 2017-4153 and No. 2017-4130). The Building Department also provides an expedited plan review of five days for solar permitting.

City staff conducted best practices research and recently met with City of Orlando staff who installed solar at their own fleet facility. In addition, Orlando performed solar energy and storage potential studies for municipal and community rooftops to estimate solar generation capacity. They have developed solar-ready guidelines to ensure that new construction will be able to support solar arrays in the future. Their strategy to reach their 100% renewable energy policy includes community solar subscriptions in addition to installing rooftop solar.  In 2022, the Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners approved a contract to install three on-site rooftop solar systems at the North Dade and South Dade Regional Libraries and at the Metrowest Detention Center. These projects will provide more than 1,400 kW (kilowatt) of installed solar capacity and are projected to save $5.4 million in energy costs over the life of the contract by producing more than 70,600 MWh (megawatt-hour) of electricity.

Existing City Buildings

The Facilities and Fleet Management Department has identified the following municipal buildings that are currently appropriate for solar installations based on roof age and quality: Fleet Management Building, 17^th Street Parking Garage, 1755 Meridian Building, and the Miami Beach Convention Center. Based on initial research, the following is a rough estimate of the space that is available at each location for solar arrays:

By comparing the available space to the average energy use of the buildings, this estimates the potential energy cost savings that could be achieved by installing solar. The Facilities & Fleet Management and Environment & Sustainability Departments have been researching the feasibility of a solar project at the Fleet Management Building located at 140 MacArthur Causeway.  

The Facilities and Fleet Management Department has requested an estimated $800,000 for a solar installation project at Fleet Management within the FY 2025 budget process. Staff will work with the Grants team to identify rebates available funding for this and other solar installation projects.

In 2021, the City obtained an estimate for installing solar at the Miami Beach Convention Center. The estimated cost for two solar arrays, in the form of carports, was approximately between $10 million and $15 million. The two solar arrays represent the maximum capacity that may be feasible for the current roofing system at the Convention Center. The estimated area of the carport on the north side would be 62,475 square feet and the one on the west side would be 48,640 square feet. The total size of these proposed solar arrays is 2.13 megawatts (MW) and is estimated to replace about 17% of the existing electrical needs of the Convention Center with solar.

New Capital Projects

The City’s capital plan includes a number of facilities that could offer opportunities for incorporation of a solar array. The list of future facilities includes the Marine Patrol Facility, the Flamingo Park Youth Center, the North Beach Ocean Rescue, Fire Station # 3, the Bass Museum Expansion, the Byron Carlyle Theater, the Fillmore (Jackie Gleason Theatre), and the Art Deco Museum Expansion, among others.  

As part of the design for the Flamingo Park Baseball Stadium renovation project, the Office of Capital Improvements (CIP) has tasked the design consultant to analyze the possibility of incorporating a photovoltaic system to power miscellaneous building systems.

The design phase will also be starting for the 72nd St. Community Complex. The scope of work includes resilient and sustainable elements such as the provision of a photovoltaic power system to serve building systems including lighting. This system includes high-efficiency solar panels, inverters, and all the necessary appurtenances.