July 14, 2008 - Private funding powers solar projects on three city of Boulder buildings

Contact:
Kevin Afflerbaugh, Office of Environmental Affairs, 303-441-4191
Mary Huron Hunter, Media Relations, 303-441-4959
www.bouldercolorado.gov

The City of Boulder has received a private donation from a Boulder family foundation to install solar photovoltaic systems on its Park Central and Municipal buildings, 1739 and 1777 Broadway.  This donation was facilitated through the Center for Resource Conservation and installation will take place later this summer.  A local solar company, Bella Energy, donated a third system to be installed on the George Reynolds Branch Library building, 3595 Table Mesa Drive, the week of July 14.

The 10kW systems will provide approximately 30,000 kWh of electric power for each building annually.  They will save the city in total approximately $3,700 per year in electricity costs and reduce the city's greenhouse gas emissions by 86,000 pounds, or 40 tons.

The goal of these installations is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase visibility of solar installations to educate the community about the benefits of renewable energy.  The downtown location of the Park Central and Municipal buildings gives the project high visibility, while the Reynolds Branch Library in south Boulder is ideally located on two busy roads with a south-facing roof structure.  Real-time energy monitoring displays will be installed in all three buildings to provide education for both city employees and community residents.

"This is an incredible opportunity for the city to showcase the benefits of solar energy," said Jonathan Koehn, environmental affairs manager.  "We sincerely appreciate the generosity of the donors and the Center for Resource Conservation in helping make this project happen."

The donation for the two systems on the Park Central and Municipal buildings will total over $50,000.  This includes funding for the systems and the educational displays in the buildings.  The Reynolds project donation is valued at over $15,000.  

Simple Solar will install the panels on the Municipal Building, while Lighthouse Solar will install the panels on the Park Central Building.  Both are Boulder-based solar companies. Bella Energy is both donating and installing the system on the Reynolds Branch Library. 

The City of Boulder's Park Central Building houses staff in the Public Works and Planning departments. The Municipal Building is a central component of the city government and houses the City Manager's Office, the City Attorney's Office, the Finance Department and the City Council Chambers, where City Council and other boards and commissions meet.

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