California Detention Centers Harness Solar Power
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Two counties in Northern California will harness the power of the sun in an effort to make local detention facilities more environmentally and fiscally sustainable.
With Placer County supervisors aiming to reduce energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions, the 50-bed DeWitt Juvenile Detention Center in Auburn , Calif. , will generate its own electricity via a 1.25-acre field of solar panels located on a formerly vacant lot adjacent to the facility.
“The primary goal of this system is to eliminate our dependency on grid-sourced electricity and the cost it represents to our county,” says Tom Miller, Placer County ‘s executive officer. “It represents a true union of environmental conservation and fiscal responsibility.”
Solar Power Inc., of Roseville, Calif., recently completed work on the 400-kilowatt solar-array installation, which features 2,424 photovoltaic panels manufactured by Sharp Electronics Corporation.
“Our design team was able to develop a system that meets the county board of supervisors’ economic and environmental goals,” says Steve Kircher, CEO of Solar Power Inc.
The county entered into a power-purchase agreement with Solar Power, which will operate the solar-power system for 10 years. Under the terms of the agreement, which allowed the county to avoid an up-front capital investment to develop the system, Solar Power will sell energy to the county at predetermined discounted rates.
The county will also pay $50,000 per year to Solar Power during the initial 10-years, before assuming ownership of the system and generating its own power. The project is expected to generate approximately $3 million in revenue for the company.
With net-metering, surplus electricity generated by the system during daylight hours will be redirected to the power grid, yielding electricity credits for the county.
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| A vacant Placer County lot was transformed into a solar-panel field to supply green energy to the adjacent juvenile detention facility. |
In addition to the ground-mounted solar arrays, the system features three 125-kilowatt inverters that convert direct current electricity generated by the photovoltaic panels into standard alternating current electricity for use in the 43,000-square-foot detention facility.
In order to maximize and maintain power-generating performance, the system design incorporates self-cleaning components to keep the photovoltaic modules free of dust and grime.
Solano County
About 75 miles southwest of the Auburn facility, Solano County supervisors are moving ahead with a similar renewable energy project in an effort to reduce the county’s dependence on fossil fuels, officials say.
Supervisors recently signed an agreement with Honeywell International for the construction of a 746-kilowatt solar array that will supply energy to the approximately 400-bed Claybank Sentenced Detention Facility in Fairfield, Calif.
“We’re taking a piece of land with limited development potential and converting it to provide cost-effective green power to a critical county facility,” says John Vasquez, county supervisor.
Under the 20-year energy services agreement, Honeywell will assume the up-front installation costs for the project and will own and maintain the solar installation.
The county will purchase renewable energy from the Honeywell installation at fixed rates that will reduce power costs at the 65,000-square-foot detention facility by an estimated $1 million during the 20-year term, officials say.
“As leaders, we should be maximizing the use of solar,” says Barbara Kondylis, county supervisor. “It’s not always about the dollars; it’s about doing the right thing.”
The county took advantage of state incentives, federal tax credits and modified-depreciation formulas to make the solar project more cost-effective.
As part of the agreement with Honeywell, the county will receive half the renewable energy credits generated from the project, which are estimated to be worth more than $100,000 at current market rates, officials say. In addition, the switch to renewable energy is expected to reduce the county’s carbon emissions by up to 730 metric tons per year.
Located on a former missile site near the jail, the solar arrays are designed to also provide a shade canopy for the district’s fleet of school buses.