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Renewable energy demonstration projects are now in the works for public buildings in Rifle, Silt and New Castle through the Garfield New Energy Communities Initiative's 1 Megawatt Campaign, using state energy impact funds and utility rebates to generate clean energy.
The Rifle, Silt and New Castle projects are part of a countywide effort to install renewable energy systems from Parachute to Carbondale on libraries, senior housing, town halls and other buildings owned by local government partners in the Garfield New Energy Communities Initiative. The city of Rifle, town of Silt, town of New Castle and the Garfield County Public Library District are among the nine partner governments in the Garfield NECI.
The renewable energy systems planned add up to 134 kilowatts of installed capacity that will generate an estimated total of 197 megawatt-hours of electricity per year. The projects are:
• A 10-kilowatt, roof-mounted solar electric array at the Rifle Police Department and Court Building, 201 E. 18th St., which will generate an estimated 18 megawatt-hours of electricity per year.
• A 9.4-kilowatt, roof-mounted solar electric array at the Rifle parks maintenance building in Deerfield Park, which will generate an estimated 17 megawatt-hours of electricity per year.
• A 14.7-kilowatt, roof-mounted solar electric array on the new Rifle branch library under construction in the parking lot east of Rifle City Hall, which will generate an estimated 27 megawatt-hours of electricity per year.
• A 10-kilowatt, roof-mounted solar electric array at Silt Town Hall, 231 N. Seventh St., which will generate an estimated 15 megawatt-hours of electricity per year.
• A 10-kilowatt, roof-mounted solar electric array at the Silt wastewater treatment facility, 600 W. River Frontage Rd., which will generate an estimated 15 megawatt-hours of electricity per year.
• A 10-kilowatt, roof-mounted solar electric array at Silt senior housing, 701 Home Ave., which will generate an estimated 15 megawatt-hours of electricity per year.
• A 70-kilowatt, roof-mounted solar electric array at the New Castle public works facility, 801 W. Main St., which will generate an estimated 90 megawatt-hours of electricity per year.
New Castle's solar array is under construction, bids are due Nov. 6 for the Silt projects, the Rifle City Council gave its projects the green light Oct. 21, and approval is pending for the Garfield County Library District's Rifle array.
Funding for the solar projects comes from the New Energy Communities Initiative grant awarded to the local government partners by the Colorado Department of Local Affairs. Of the $1.6 million grant, $700,000 is being used to help pay for the solar installations.
Additional funding to expand the amount available for renewable projects comes from the cash match provided by the local government partners, from Solar Rewards rebates provided by Xcel Energy and from grants from the Pitkin County and city of Aspen Renewable Energy Mitigation program through CORE, and the Aspen Skiing Co.'s Environment Foundation. New Castle's installation is leveraging its grant to build a larger project by using a third party power purchase agreement.
“These solar installations are the signature project of the Initiative,” said Parachute Trustee Judi Hayward, Garfield NECI Advisory Board secretary. “We want solar arrays to become a commonplace sight throughout Garfield County, so we are devoting almost half of the grant to help pay for installations countywide.”
The grant should help to educate Garfield County residents on renewable technology.
“When we wrote the NECI grant last year for the communities of Garfield County, we wanted to increase opportunities for every community to learn more about various renewable technologies and financing,” said Alice Laird, director of CLEER, Clean Energy Economy for the Region, the nonprofit managing the NECI program. The Department of Local Affairs grant helps local governments overcome the upfront cost of solar, and provides working examples that we hope will lead to additional renewable installations in each community. On top of that, these projects will cut utility bills where these systems are installed.”
The projects were identified in a survey of potential sites by two teams of experts, in collaboration with local government officials. Project planning is still in the works for Glenwood Springs and Garfield County.
The Rifle, Silt and New Castle projects are part of a countywide effort to install renewable energy systems from Parachute to Carbondale on libraries, senior housing, town halls and other buildings owned by local government partners in the Garfield New Energy Communities Initiative. The city of Rifle, town of Silt, town of New Castle and the Garfield County Public Library District are among the nine partner governments in the Garfield NECI.
The renewable energy systems planned add up to 134 kilowatts of installed capacity that will generate an estimated total of 197 megawatt-hours of electricity per year. The projects are:
• A 10-kilowatt, roof-mounted solar electric array at the Rifle Police Department and Court Building, 201 E. 18th St., which will generate an estimated 18 megawatt-hours of electricity per year.
• A 9.4-kilowatt, roof-mounted solar electric array at the Rifle parks maintenance building in Deerfield Park, which will generate an estimated 17 megawatt-hours of electricity per year.
• A 14.7-kilowatt, roof-mounted solar electric array on the new Rifle branch library under construction in the parking lot east of Rifle City Hall, which will generate an estimated 27 megawatt-hours of electricity per year.
• A 10-kilowatt, roof-mounted solar electric array at Silt Town Hall, 231 N. Seventh St., which will generate an estimated 15 megawatt-hours of electricity per year.
• A 10-kilowatt, roof-mounted solar electric array at the Silt wastewater treatment facility, 600 W. River Frontage Rd., which will generate an estimated 15 megawatt-hours of electricity per year.
• A 10-kilowatt, roof-mounted solar electric array at Silt senior housing, 701 Home Ave., which will generate an estimated 15 megawatt-hours of electricity per year.
• A 70-kilowatt, roof-mounted solar electric array at the New Castle public works facility, 801 W. Main St., which will generate an estimated 90 megawatt-hours of electricity per year.
New Castle's solar array is under construction, bids are due Nov. 6 for the Silt projects, the Rifle City Council gave its projects the green light Oct. 21, and approval is pending for the Garfield County Library District's Rifle array.
Funding for the solar projects comes from the New Energy Communities Initiative grant awarded to the local government partners by the Colorado Department of Local Affairs. Of the $1.6 million grant, $700,000 is being used to help pay for the solar installations.
Additional funding to expand the amount available for renewable projects comes from the cash match provided by the local government partners, from Solar Rewards rebates provided by Xcel Energy and from grants from the Pitkin County and city of Aspen Renewable Energy Mitigation program through CORE, and the Aspen Skiing Co.'s Environment Foundation. New Castle's installation is leveraging its grant to build a larger project by using a third party power purchase agreement.
“These solar installations are the signature project of the Initiative,” said Parachute Trustee Judi Hayward, Garfield NECI Advisory Board secretary. “We want solar arrays to become a commonplace sight throughout Garfield County, so we are devoting almost half of the grant to help pay for installations countywide.”
The grant should help to educate Garfield County residents on renewable technology.
“When we wrote the NECI grant last year for the communities of Garfield County, we wanted to increase opportunities for every community to learn more about various renewable technologies and financing,” said Alice Laird, director of CLEER, Clean Energy Economy for the Region, the nonprofit managing the NECI program. The Department of Local Affairs grant helps local governments overcome the upfront cost of solar, and provides working examples that we hope will lead to additional renewable installations in each community. On top of that, these projects will cut utility bills where these systems are installed.”
The projects were identified in a survey of potential sites by two teams of experts, in collaboration with local government officials. Project planning is still in the works for Glenwood Springs and Garfield County.
