Solar project will generate rebates for more ventures

The solar array nearing completion atop the Legislative parking garage will not only cut utility costs for the state, the head of the state Energy Office says a rebate from NV Energy will nearly pay for the project up front.

Jim Groth said the money for that and numerous other energy projects around the state is stimulus money. To make it go farther, he said it is being used in many cases for projects that qualify for the NV Energy rebates. At $5 per watt of generating power, those rebates are now nearly matching the cost of photovoltaic installations. He said the rebates are then funneled into a revolving fund and awarded to new projects that also qualify for rebates.

And the process starts all over again.

As an example, he cited the recently completed 30-kilowatt solar array installed on the Henderson DMV building. It cost $180,000 but generated $147,000 back to the state in rebates.

Using that process over and over, Groth said Nevada will be able to do many more energy projects than the original $45 million in stimulus money would have paid for.

"It's one of the stimulus programs that keeps on stimulating and keeps on going in perpetuity," Groth said.

A similar solar array has been operating more than a year atop the legislative print shop and warehouse across Stewart Street from the garage, each generating 30 KW of electric power.

Legislative Counsel Bureau Director Lorne Malkiewich said one problem the engineers couldn't solve without major expense was getting the power to the Legislature building.

So the power generated will be routed to Buildings and Grounds and probably be used in the Supreme Court building.

"Doesn't matter, it's still state government," he said, adding that the savings generated will save taxpayers of Nevada money no matter where the electricity is used.

Ward Patrick, chief of planning at Public Works, said the revolving fund approach is possible because the price of photovoltaic installations has come down significantly in the past couple of years from $10-$12 a watt to just $5 a watt..

Groth said he hopes to use the process over and over again to do about 40 state buildings.

In addition to the Henderson DMV and LCB garage, Groth's staff is designing a system for the roof of the Library and Archives building behind the Capitol.

Public Works is managing a total of $7 million worth of energy projects including those solar installations. Director Gus Nunez said fully half that total, $3.6 million, is upgrading and retrofitting lighting in 112 different state buildings.

"We're retrofitting just about everything we can find," he said.

He said upgraded lighting pays for itself in just a few years, unlike photovoltaic systems that take significantly longer.

With the rebates, he and Patrick said the photovoltaic systems are paid for almost immediately, but the state gets the benefit of the electric bill savings in perpetuity.

Groth said his office has set up a similar program for Nevada's school districts and already has funded solar projects at about a dozen schools. In those cases, however, he said the school districts apply for and get to keep the rebate money to do other energy projects.

He said the Carson School District is planning solar installations at its schools with construction planned to start next year.

For those curious to see the solar system at the Legislature in action, crews were installing a TV screen in the rear entry to the building that will monitor energy production from the solar panels once they are up and running.