County Board members have approved new rooftop solar panels at four more county buildings, including Central Library.
Collectively, the installations are anticipated to save the county government about $850,000 in utility costs over a 25-year period.
“I’m thrilled about this. We’ve been working on it for quite some time,” County Board Chair Matt de Ferranti said at the March 14 meeting where the project was approved.
The four buildings slated to receive rooftop solar collectors are:
- Central Library (1015 N. Quincy Street)
- Equipment Bureau (2701 S. Taylor Street)
- 1425 N. Quincy Street
- 1435 N. Quincy Street
The installations, conducted by a subsidiary of Dominion Energy, are expected to provide about 16% of future power requirements at the library and equipment bureau, 66% at 1425 N. Quincy Street and 91% at 1435 N. Quincy Street.
Installation is expected to take between 12 and 18 months.
Agreements with Dominion allow the county government to purchase solar power from the installations at set rates for each building, based on factors such as the size and capacity of solar arrays.
In the beginning, costs will range from 12 cents to 14 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh). Costs will escalate by 1.5% annually over the agreement’s 25-year lifespan.
“All facilities and associated rates are modeled to have net cost saving when compared to the cost of grid electricity over the 25-year term,” staff said in a report to Board members prior to the March 14 approval.
Dominion Energy Solutions will be responsible for ongoing maintenance and operations.
The agreement is similar to one signed in 2024 to provide energy to Lubber Run Community Center. That facility became operational last fall.
