Guilderland is moving forward with a “risk free” assessment of the town’s potential to harness solar power across a variety of sites, with infrastructure and aesthetics likely playing a role towards possibilities.
At its Tuesday, Jan. 21, meeting, the Town Board approved contracting with Solomon Energy Inc. for consulting services on studying the feasibility of installing a photovoltaic system across town-owned buildings and property. Solomon Energy projects a full build out across 11 potential sites generating up to 11.36 million kilowatt-hours could save the town nearly $1.5 million over 25 years. Consultants did contend some prospective sites might not be feasible to install panels for various reasons.
“From the projections we’ve seen, which we’ve been informed that they’re conservative projections, there is some significant cost savings to the town,” Town Supervisor Ken Runion said. “There is really no cost to the town, so there is a benefit and we don’t have any capital outlay at all.”
The services will be provided to the town at no cost because fees for services would be charged to the winning bidder the town contracts with for a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA). If the town decides to forgo installing panels, there would also be no cost, with consultants essentially providing the research for free.
“If we get to the end and we find out there is no benefit, then it didn’t cost the town anything,” Runion said.
Electricity costs for the town are annually around $500,000 paying at the rate of $0.118 per kilowatt-hour, according to data provided by Solomon Energy. A full build out is projected to yield annual savings starting at $21,600 and increasing to $111,315.
The proposed locations and installation type, along system size, include the Town Hall roof (50 kW), Department of Public Works building roof (318 kW), transfer station ground mount (6,400 kW) and roof (65 kW), water district building roof (273 kW) and carport (558 kW), two roof installations on parks and recreation buildings (totaling 33 kW) and a ground mount (652 kW), and on a roof (151 kW) and carport (969 kW) at the town golf course.
Jeff Conrad, executive vice president of Solomon Energy, said some issues potentially limiting installation are the conditions of rooftops on buildings. The company will be doing a more detailed review of infrastructure to ensure roofs could house panels for 15 to 20 years.
Runion said the town was already looking to replace the roof at Town Hall in coming years, so the project could spur repairs to occur this year.
“It might work out well. We would have a new roof with a good warranty on it, so it might make sense to look at Town Hall,” Runion said. “I think some of the other sites are more interesting and maybe more appealing, particularly the transfer station site.”
Runion said an installation at the transfer station would not interfere with any building and has no real aesthetic impact to residents.
“The (transfer station) would be one of the main areas that we would look at. Based on if we could fully build out on all of the land, there would be over a 6 megawatt array in total,” Conrad said. “There are some major concerns with landfill sites based on settling of the soil. There are environmental … approvals we would need to get.”
Conrad added the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority announced it was looking to “revamp” its rebate program for larger scale systems.
Any costs of building a system would affect what rate the town pays the company it contracts with for solar energy, because a private entity bears construction expenses. The more rebates a company attains to offset construction costs, the less the town would theoretically pay for solar electricity.
The three Parks and Recreation building sites are already being seen as unlikely installation sites, Conrad said, with the small system size being a concern.
Runion said the carports proposed to be built for solar panels at the golf course “intrigues” him, because of the added benefits. If electric charging stations were installed at the site, the town could convert to using electric golf carts, providing possible fuel cost savings.
“If you have your own power and you are generating it, it becomes probably very beneficial because you can just hook them up and you got the solar power,” Runion said. “That is where you have a double benefit.”