At the request of the SRC, staff identified three buildings to potentially install solar panels to further the city’s renewable energy goals: the Botanical Gardens, Police Athletic League (PAL) and the Art Deco Welcome Center. The estimated cost to purchase solar panels and the electrical infrastructure for all three buildings, not including installation, varies from $126K to $198K (Attachment A), depending on the maximum amount of solar panels that could be potentially installed at each property. If the higher estimate of solar panels can be installed at the PAL building, the solar panels could potentially cover up to 97% of the average monthly electricity consumption.

As recommended by the SRC, staff also investigated the Muss Park Pavilion’s potential for solar panels. While the building roof has an area of approximately 3,000 square feet, the building has an arched roofline, with a majority of the roof facing north (Attachment B). For solar to be beneficial, southern exposure must be maximized. Therefore, the orientation does not make this building a good candidate for solar. In addition, the building’s trusses, which are scheduled to be installed in the next couple of weeks, may not be able to accommodate the additional loading from installing solar panels.

Also, per the request of the SRC, staff evaluated the option of engaging in a multi ESCO agreement to explore potential retrofit projects that can reduce municipal building energy consumption. The city’s 13-year agreement with Ameresco is currently being audited. Once the Ameresco audit is completed, the city will be able to determine whether it should continue with the current agreement and whether the projects contracted under this agreement could overlap with potential retrofit projects in a potential multi ESCO agreement. For this reason, it is recommended to have the results of the audit completed, to then proceed with the potential multi ESCO agreement. This recommendation was also provided for another item presented at SRC (LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) for retrofits in city-owned properties).

The current Energy Conservation Measures (ECMs) listed on the Ameresco agreement include Facility Lighting and Lighting Control Upgrades, Domestic Water Conservation, HVAC Controls, Geothermal Cooling (Police Station), Power Transformer Replacement, Geothermal Cooling (Convention Center- decommissioned), Chiller Plant Optimization, and District Cooling Plant. According to the agreement, Ameresco shall have the right to install additional ECMs and to revise any procedures for the operation of the ECMs or implement other procedures at the premises which include most of municipal buildings.

CONCLUSION:

The following is presented to the members of the Sustainability and Resiliency Committee for discussion and further direction.