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