In yet another instance of using
solar power to operate utilities like water and wastewater treatment plants, the City of Peoria (Maricopa County, Arizona) recently announced the completion of its $510,000 solar array at the city’s water reclamation facility.
Funding was provided through a loan from the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act, or ARRA, and the 60-kilowatt system is expected to deliver at least one-fourth of the energy needed to operate the facility.
On March 13, city officials will gather to dedicate the solar array, which in addition to providing electricity is being described as a ‘one-stop shop’ for local residents considering adding solar panels to their homes or businesses who want to know how solar power works first-hand.
According to Public Works/ Utilities Director Bill Mattingly, the system was installed by Dependable Solar Products of Mesa, Arizona, with the help of general contracting firm Felix Construction, also of Mesa.
Dependable Solar Products is a design-build solar firm whose sister company, ETA Engineering, Inc. has more than 30 years experience in designing and installing solar energy systems. Felix is a general contractor with almost 25 years of experience vested primarily in water production, treatment and pumping stations.
Both firms plan to donate solar learning modules to local schools which, according to ETA Engineering Director David Wright, will help science teachers instruct students about how photovoltaic modules, or panels, function, and the role of solar power in future U.S. energy supplies.
The system consists of 266 ground-mounted solar panels made in Tucson, and Peoria city officials (with the help of utility department employees) hope to turn the dedication into a solar fair of sorts, where vendors will set up booths and displays to help people understand the costs and benefits of clean, renewable solar energy. Vendors will also help interested parties calculate the amount(s) of federal, state and local incentives that are available to help pay for solar energy systems.
City officials speculate that Arizona Governor Jan Brewer may put in appearance, along with a representative from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, whose recent moves to curtail and monitor carbon emissions suggest that greater participation in clean, renewable energies like solar and wind might be financially beneficial as well as environmentally correct.
The Beardsley Water Reclamation Facility solar system will provide power to some of the most essential parts of the plant, including the laboratory (which tests water samples for regulatory compliance regarding bacteria and chemical content before discharge), the plant’s control room, and the emergency chlorine disinfection system, which is activated in the event of large quantities of floodwater entering the sewer system and causing early discharge.
The 60-kilowatt solar panels, which produce about 101,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity per year, are responsible for reducing carbon emissions from fossil-fueled electricity generation by 72.5 metric tons, which is the same as taking almost 14 cars off the road or planting 1,860 trees.