Solar Energy at Work for Broomfield

Sunshine iconIn an effort to use renewable energy and reduce energy costs over the long term, Broomfield’s Capital ImprovementSolar panels by Police building Projects division has implemented nine solar power installations.

Solar panels were installed at the Mamie Doud Eisenhower Public Library, the City and County Building, and the Great Western Reservoir Reuse Water Treatment Plant in 2010. Installations at the Police and Combined Courts Facility, the Paul Derda Recreation Center, and the Norman Smith Service Center took place in 2008. The most recent installations were at the Wastewater Treatment Facility, the Police Training and Detention Facility, and the Willow Run Sewer Lift Station.

Broomfield allows the solar power generating equipment to be installed on its facilities and buys the electricity generated from the providers. Agreements with the providers guarantee no future cost increases over the term. Based on the historical data, it is presumed that costs with the more traditional providers would continue to escalate in the future and surpass the solar rate in the first ten years of the agreements. This can potentially generate a considerable savings for Broomfield. The table below details the sites using solar power to date.

Facility
Address
 Approximate % Power Offset
Year Installed
Solar Provider
Police/Courts
17 DesCombes Drive
 10%
 2008
 Sun Edison
Norman Smith Service Center
 3001 W. 124thAvenue
17%
 2008
 Sun Edison
Paul Derda Recreation Center
 13201 Lowell Boulevard
 5.5%
 2008
 Sun Edison
Mamie Doud Eisenhower Library
 3 Community Park Road
 20%
 2010
 Lighthouse Solar
City & County Building
 1 DesCombes Drive
 5%
 2010
 Lighthouse Solar
Great Western Reservoir Reuse Water Treatment Plant
 12400 W. 112th Avenue
 36%
 2010
 Lighthouse Solar
Wastewater Treatment Plant
 2985 W. 124th Avenue
 1.4%
 2011
 Lighthouse Solar
Police Training and Detention Facility
 11600 Ridge Parkway
 15%
 2011
 Sun Edison/
Bella Energy
Willow Run Sewer Lift Station
 2850 Big Dry Creek Drive
 100%
 2011
 Sun Edison/
Bella Energy