Powering the County with wind
Boulder County uses wind energy to
provide approximately half of the County’s total electrical
energy purchased from Xcel - powering 67 percent of
County-owned Buildings. Of these buildings, 19 designated
sites use wind energy for 100 percent of their
electrical needs.
In October, 2005, Boulder County
entered into three-year and one-year commitments to purchase
energy from Wind Source, which provides wind-generated
electricity through Xcel Energy.
Buildings that operate on 100-percent
wind-generated electricity include the County Courthouse
buildings on the Pearl Street Mall; the Clerk and Recorder’s
Office on 33rd Street; the Simpson building in
Lafayette; all County buildings on the corner of North
Broadway and Iris in Boulder; and the County’s branch
offices in Louisville.
Wind Source energy is
used to supply 15 percent of the electricity to operate the
Jail and the Justice Center.
In addition, the County Commissioners
have made a tentative decision to purchase 50 percent
wind power for the County's Longmont facilities.
Solar power
Boulder County celebrated the launch of its new, 46-panel
solar power system at the historic Boulder County Courthouse
in August 2007.
46 solar panels were installed on the roof of the West Wing
of the County Courthouse. The 10kW Solar Photovoltaic (PV)
panel system will provide the County with electricity
comparable to the amount needed to power five moderately
sized homes all year, or 90 typical fluorescent office light
fixtures operating 10 hours per day, five days a week for a
year. By reducing the use of coal-generated electricity, the
project is expected to reduce carbon dioxide greenhouse gas
emissions by 12 metric tons annually.
The PV panel system was installed to provide the electrical
power required to charge four Plug-in Hybrid cars, which
will be purchased in 2008 and will get about 100 miles per
gallon. Electricity produced by the PV system will feed
directly into the County’s downtown electrical system and is
equivalent to what the cars will need to charge their
batteries. The panels will provide power for everyday
operations until the cars are on line in 2008.
The hybrid car portion of the project is partially funded by
a grant the County was awarded to demonstrate the new
technology associated with the Plug-in Hybrids. The Solar PV
system also received funding in the form of a $44,500 rebate
from Xcel Energy, which is a little over half the total cost
of the system.
The system’s 46 panels sit at an angle of 20 degrees and
cover about half of the roof on the West Wing. Each panel is
about 30” x 60” and they are rated at 215 watts each. The
system is expected to produce about 14,500 kilowatt-hours
per year. Plans to expand solar power on County
buildings
The Boulder County Commissioners have contracted Bella
Energy to conduct an engineering study that will determine
which configurations on County properties will provide the
optimum opportunity to harness solar power while reaping the
benefits of renewable energy rebates. The project will
evaluate County-owned buildings and properties to identify
the best design of solar power systems and will position the
county to receive rebates and other funding from Xcel
Energy.
“Our goal is to implement sustainable energy practices while
also using taxpayer dollars in an efficient manner,” Boulder
County Sustainability Coordinator Ann Livingston explained.
“By taking this step we will be prepared to install solar
systems on County facilities and we’ll be positioned to save
hundreds of thousands of public dollars through rebates and
other Xcel funding.”
Bella Energy was contracted to evaluate 10 sites with 16
buildings and then prepare documentation to obtain Xcel
Energy Solar Rebate funds. The sites that were evaluated are all
located within the Xcel Energy service area. They include:
- Justice Center, 1777 6th St., Boulder
- Courthouse Annex, 2045 14th St., Boulder
- Courthouse (expansion of existing system), 1325 Pearl
St., Boulder
- North Broadway complex (3 buildings), 3400 N. Broadway,
Boulder
- Clerk and Recorder’s building, 1750 33rd St., Boulder
- Recycling Center, 1901 E. 63rd St., Boulder
- County Jail, 3200 Airport Road, Boulder
- Simpson Building, 400 E. Simpson, Lafayette
- Walden Ponds site, 3897 N. 75th St., Boulder
|
|
Boulder
County strives to turn to renewable energy sources as much
as possible for our power needs. The County currently
utilizes