Last week, the Duke Energy Convention Center (DECC) hosted a conference called GovEnergy. It has been billed as the premier energy training workshop and trade show for the nation's federal agencies. The goal of this annual gathering is to, "foster opportunities to further educate and encourage the best application of practices, products, and services as they relate to energy efficiency, renewable energy, water efficiency, and greenhouse gas management within the federal sector."
Well, the Feds couldn't have met in a better place this year. Just in time for the conference, the DECC was able to showcase its brand new 101 kW rooftop solar array. The new solar installation is a part of an aggressive plan to make the DECC attractive to sustainability advocate groups.
Overseen by clean energy services provider Ameresco, it is being hailed as the largest solar installation in downtown Cincinnati. The array is ideally positioned to annually capture about 1,000 hours of daylight, reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 85 tons, and save at least $7,000 in utility costs at the current rates. The project management was handled by the local clean energy experts Third Sun Solar and the panels were manufactured by the Sharp Electronics Solar Energy Solutions Group.
According to the press release, the new installation is composed of 324 220-watt Sharp ND-224UC1 and 105 235-watt Sharp ND-U240fl modules that were combined with 42 kW Sunny Tower inverters in a 439 panel array. These Sharp panels have a 25 year warranty and are perfect for large scale commercial applications because of their ratio of size and weight to power production. Also, the panels were manufactured in Memphis, Tennessee, which satisfied the American-made eligibility requirements for federal funding through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
“The City of Cincinnati and Duke Energy Convention Center should be commended for their aggressive pursuit of clean energy with a clear understanding of the long-term economic and environmental benefits,” said Eric Hafter, senior vice president, Sharp Solar Energy Solutions Group. “With nearly 50 years of experience in solar, we offer clients like Third Sun and the DECC peace of mind. Sharp stands behind our product and ensures our clients maximize their return on investment.”
This demonstration of Cincinnati's capability to deliver on its commitment to renewable energy leads one to wonder what the next act could be. One important thing to consider, is that Cincinnati's Office of Environmental Quality (OEQ), which has been targeted for complete defunding, was the key coordinating partner for this entire project. They identified the site, brought the stake holders to the table, and pursued the tax incentives, grants, and federal funding required for this to be economically feasible. Without the guidance of this office, the Duke Energy Convention Center would still only be powered by Duke Energy coal. It is crucial that the supporters of this successful endeavor continue to rally around the OED, which has proven it can bring in external sources of funding and deliver on its mission. Without the OED, the question of "what next?" is one that will only be answered by the private sector. So, what is next?
"The Duke Energy Convention Center solar project is just the tip of the iceberg for our center's efforts with green initiatives," said DECC General Manager Ric Booth. "Our hope is to use this project to enhance our facility to national planners and to help 'grow' the solar panel site to double or triple the amount of panels in place on the roof of the center."
When questioned about the feasibility of replicating more projects of this scale in Cincinnati, Third Sun Project Developer, John Fanselow said, "it's kind of like hitting a moving target." The size of solar projects in the Midwest continues to expand at a very fast rate, and title of "largest" isn't held for very long. Fanselow pointed out that in 2007, the largest solar project in the Greater Cincinnati area was a Third Sun installation of a 24 kW array at Twenhofel Middle School in Independence, Kentucky. Third Sun has successfully managed increasingly larger installs that collectively add up to about 1,000 kW throughout the region. Local examples include, 22 kW at Finley Market, 30 kW at Metropolitan Sewer District, 233 kW at the Ohio Department of Mental Health Summit Behavioral facitilty, and 323 kW at Greater Cincinnati Water Works.
If you would like to see some of these solar installations up close, sign up for Green Energy Ohio's annaul solar tour, which is scheduled for the first weekend of October.
Clearly, this latest development has solidified Cincinnati's reputation as a city that is on the path to sustainability. When major renewable providers like Ameresco, Third Sun Solar, and Sharp Electronics see the market potential of Cincinnati, it really dispels the notion that the Midwest is not optimum country for solar energy. It also ups the ante for the regional economic drivers surrounding the city. Any administration, municipality, utility, public works, university, planning commission, non-profit, or commericial entity in the Greater Cincinnati area that still refuses to acknowledge now is the time to make the front-end investment in renewable energy, will be doing a terrible disservice to their citizens, rate payers, and customers. The City of Cincinnati is proving that it makes sense right now.
If these words fail to convince, just click on the real-time monitoring page of the DECC's solar production, provided by Deck Monitoring. In less than 3 months, a total of 31 tons of carbon dioxide have been saved from entering the atmosphere, an equivilent of burning 3,500 gallons of gasoline. Watch that free, clean, wholesome, life-giving Sol spin the meter. Realize that the meter is a metaphor for the clean energy revolution, and it won't be stopping for budget cuts, weak-kneed politicians, or economic downturns.
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