Raleigh's going solar
I spent some time Friday at a dedication ceremony for the City of Raleigh Parks Department’s new greenhouse. One might think that a greenhouse wouldn’t be exciting but this is no ordinary greenhouse. It’s got energy-efficient features, it’s fully automated, and for the first time it provides the City the ability to grow any type of plant during any season. Raleigh’s parks, streets, and highways look so sharp because of the work of the Parks and Recreation Department’s horticulture and landscaping teams, who keep Raleigh looking beautiful through the careful stewardship of our trees, plants, and flowers.
It’s just one of the reasons Raleigh was recognized this year as the most sustainable mid-sized in America. We’ve installed LED lighting whenever possible. We’ve renovated aging community centers to make them energy-efficient. We’ve built many city buildings to LEED standards. We’ve also added electric car charging stations around town in partnership with Progress Energy.
Another thing we’ve done is offer up city real estate for generating electricity from solar panels. Two of our water treatment plants now sport solar PV arrays, as does a remote operations center. With the recent news of Red Hat moving downtown, Raleigh’s way is (literally) cleared to do the same with the Raleigh Convention Center’s roof.
Now, to the untrained eye those shiny panels might look expensive. Talking About Politics political pundit Carter Wrenn recently pointed to the Convention Center solar project as an example of wasteful government spending. Says Carter:
Meantime, a few blocks away, the City is proceeding full steam ahead with a plan to cover the entire roof of the downtown Convention Center with solar panels – leaving aside the wonders of solar power, is now the time to be increasing spending – couldn’t this government program have waited until times get better?
What Carter seemed to have missed is that this project doesn’t cost Raleigh taxpayers a dime! In fact, it will soon be generating not just electricity but cash for Raleigh citizens. From the City of Raleigh’s Newsletter from March 2011 [PDF] (emphasis mine):
The City of Raleigh plans to install a 500-kilowatt solar photovoltaic array on the rooftop of the Raleigh Convention Center. Construction is expected to begin this spring. The City Council voted unanimously on Nov. 2 to authorize City staff to enter into lease negotiations with FLS Energy/PowerWorks which will develop and operate the solar array facility. The renewable energy produced by the solar array will be sold to Progress Energy Carolinas. The rooftop solar array at the Raleigh Convention Center will produce an estimated 725,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity per year, roughly equivalent to the annual energy use of 100 homes in North Carolina. Construction is expected to begin in January, with completion in April. The convention center rooftop solar array will be built at no cost to the City of Raleigh.
See that? “No cost to the City of Raleigh.” Not only does sustainability make sense, it also makes “cents.” The city has already saved itself a staggering sum through its sustainability efforts and as a taxpayer I wholeheartedly support this type of investment. If the City of Raleigh can generate money by leasing rooftop space for solar panels – hey, “more power to it!”