Facts on County solar power
What is the County doing?
The County is partnering with SunEdison LLC to install the largest solar power project in Oregon on three county buildings. The project will produce approximately 1,000,000 kilowatt hours (kWh) of renewable electricity per year, marking an important milestone for the Oregon solar energy industry.
What will this cost County taxpayers?
Nothing. Multnomah County will buy the power output at prices just below our current PGE rates. The investment in the project itself is being made by our private-sector partner SunEdison, which will install, own, operate and maintain the system. Generous state and federal tax credits (BETC and Solar Investment Tax Credit) are key to this deal. The outstanding in-kind support we have received from Energy Trust of Oregon was also critical to our being able to complete this project
What is the County’s commitment to SunEdison?
We will buy all the power produced by the solar system via a 20-year Power Purchase Agreement. The rate per kilowatt-hour we will pay is about 5% below what we currently pay PGE.
Will your costs rise over time?
The price starts out just below our current PGE rates. A price escalator is built in at a rate in line with historic utility price inflation of 2.83% per year. We will achieve rate stability on this part of our power bill.
Can you make solar energy in Multnomah County’s cloudy and rainy climate?
Yes. Even in the winter the panels will produce power. And our long, sunny summer days [like today] are productive enough to make up for rainy and cloudy days. Oregon gets more sun than Germany, the world leader in solar power.
How does this help our community?
Reduces operating costs.
Supports local economic development in solar and alternative energy industries.
Reduces our greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 570 tons per year.
Clean, home-grown energy sources reduce our dependence on foreign energy.
Hedges against rising energy prices.
Show employees, citizens and customers our support for renewable energy.
Take action to cool global warming.
Contribute to a more sustainable future.
Achieve green certifications such as LEED®.
Show environmental leadership in community.
Are there bigger solar projects in the Northwest?
No project this big has yet been built in the Northwest. While many projects near this size have been built in California, Multnomah County’s project will be one of the largest 30 solar installations so far completed in the United States.
Are solar systems low maintenance?
Yes. Today’s solar energy systems have no moving parts and operate silently and dependably. Solar components carry warranties of up to 25 years. The systems run automatically and efficiently with electronic controllers. Meters and gauges will allow our maintenance staff to verify system operation and performance. Roof penetrations are flashed and sealed with standard commercial roofing practices.
Will the solar panels fully meet those buildings electricity needs?
No. Expected output & percent of solar at each site is below:
--Multnomah Building: 90,000 kWh of the 2,700,000 kWh used per year (~30%).
--John B Yeon Facility: 650,000 kWh of the 1,700,000 kWh used per year, (~40%).
--Juvenile Justice Complex: 300,000 kWh of 3,000,000 kWh used per year, (~10%)
How big are the County rooftops where the solar panels are going?
--Multnomah Building: 13,000 square feet
--John B. Yeon Facility: 100,000 square feet (one large bldg, one smaller annex building, one 10,000 square foot solar frame)
--Juvenile Justice Complex: 90,000 square feet.
Does Multnomah County already buy green power?
Yes. We spend $31,000 per year on PGE and Pacific Power renewable energy programs, covering about 1% of our total electricity needs.
How much of Multnomah County’s total electricity needs will be covered by the solar project?
The 1,000,000 kWh produced by the solar energy systems will cover approximately 2.5 percent of the County’s total electric usage. We buy about 44,470,000 kWh per year from PGE and Pacific Power at a total cost of about $2,700,000 per year. The PGE portion of our power use is 35,560,000 kWh, or about 80 percent of the total. In addition to running more than 100 buildings and facilities, we also pay the power bill for many miles of streetlights and traffic signals in unincorporated areas of the county.
What has Multnomah County done in the area of energy efficiency to reduce its overall electricity usage?
Multnomah County has regularly invested in energy efficiency projects over the past 20 years. Many of our lighting and HVAC systems employ the best available technologies. Projects that save enough energy to pay for themselves within seven years are undertaken by Multnomah County anytime funding and staff resources allow. We hope to upgrade many of our existing buildings to meet LEED standards for energy efficiency in the near future.
What was the process for awarding a contract to SunEdison?
The Board of County Commissioners voted to pursue a solar project last June, initiating a public procurement process. We issued a Request For Proposals (RFP) and held a pre-proposal conference and site tour last fall. Several companies responded to the RFP. We scored those responses using the criteria detailed in the RFP and selected a winning bidder (SunEdison). Contract negotiations took about six months. This project will be the first solar project completed by SunEdison in Oregon, although SunEdison has completed more than 80 similar projects around the United States with public and private partners, including Kohl’s, Staples and the State of California.
Posted on June 26, 2008
follow Jeff on Twitter
Comments
(Note: Comments are the views of their authors, and no one else.)
Posted by: R. Demaret - June 26, 2008 05:12 PM
Jeff, Solar power is not free, except to the county in this case. Someone, a taxpayer, pays for the "credits" given by the sate and federal governments. In the end, the power is free to the county, but not to the taxpayer. Have you numbers on the cost per kilowatt hour calculating in these costs? Can you publish them in fairness of full disclosure?
Posted by: jeff cogen - June 26, 2008 10:23 PM
While its true that the Government subsidizes the solar industry (State business energy tax credits and Federal production tax credits apply to this deal), these subsidies pale in comparison to the tens of Billions in subsidies to the fossil fuel industry. And that's just direct subsidies, which doesn't count the much larger cost of the massive military spending needed to ensure access to Mideast oil. Fossil fuels also impose enormous external costs on society in the form of pollution and global warming.