Solar Power Saves Bowie Thousands

For the past five years, the city of Bowie has produced thousands of kilowatt hours of clean solar energy, while saving the city thousands of dollars

The efforts are intended not only to save the city money, but to reduce the city’s energy consumption and to reduce harmful emissions produced by coal electricity plants. To this extent, the city currently has four roof-mounted solar photovoltaic (PV) systems installed at three facilities. PV systems use solar panels to convert sunlight into electricity.

Three of the PV systems—one at the park maintenance facility, and the ones at the Genealogy Library and the Harmel House—were fully funded by a federal Energy Efficient block grant. The $92,500 installations came at no cost to the city. 

The city paid to add the fourth PV system in 2012— another system at the plant maintenance facility—for $25,299, increasing both energy production and savings. 

Where are the savings? The PV systems save money by both adding electricity back to the grid and through solar renewable energy credits, which are basically tax credits earned for producing renewable energy.

According to a report generated by the city, the four systems combined are saving the city $2,886.05 in electricity and $6,589 in energy credits per year, for combined total of $9,475.05. Since three of those systems were fully paid for by a federal grant those savings, go directly to the city. The city estimates that it will take them almost six years to earn back the funds it invested in the fourth system and they should see a 17.5 percent return on investment.

Although the expected return on investment on the plant maintenance facility PV system is significant, the overall savings to the Bowie could vary, according to Matt Reno, who runs they city's solar energy project.

“There are a lot of variables that play into that,” Reno said.

For example, the energy credits are publicly traded, so the amount the city saves via the credits could fluctuate year-to-year as the stock market fluctuates, Reno said. Even the amount of solar energy produced could vary because that is dependant on the sun shining. If it was very cloudy and rainy for an entire year, less energy would be produced resulting in less savings.

Thus far, the city staff has been pleased with the savings generated by the existing PV systems.

“At Harmel House we reduced our electricity cost by over 90 percent,” City Manager David Deutsch said.

The savings, both estimated and actual, were enough for the city council to put a yearly line item in Bowie’s capital budget dedicated to renewable energy.

“It is economically beneficial to utilize PV systems, and that’s just from an economic standpoint,” Reno said.

The greater benefit, said Reno, is that the city is using a renewable type of energy and does not have to rely on electricity supplied by coal plants, plants that add harmful emissions to the environment.

Just how much clean energy are the city's PV systems generating? Combined, all four the the PV systems generate 36,075.6 kilowatt hours of energy per year. On average, that's enough to fully power three homes for more a year. 

Using the funds from the Fiscal Year 2013 budget, the city will again expand the PV system on the park maintenance facility for a cost of $40,000. According to Reno, the city anticipates saving an additional $5,491 in electricity costs a year with the expansion. He also estimates that it will take the city just under eight years make back the initial investment in the expansion, resulting in a 13.7 percent return on investment.

The city is bidding out another solar project this year as well to be paid for out of the Fiscal Year 2014 budget.

“We’re going to be working this fiscal year to include some solar on the Senior Center as we replace the roof on that facility,” Deutsch said.

That project should go out to bid shortly.

Moving forward, the city hopes to install solar PVs on several other city buildings in the coming years. The list of potential sites, researched and compiled by city consultant Maryland Environmental Service, includes:

• Public Works complex – Streets and Utilities Building
• Public Works complex – Sludge / Salt Storage Barn
• Public Works complex – Solid Waste Administration Building
• Public Works complex –Waste Water Treatment Plant Dewatering Building
• Public Works complex –Waste Water Treatment Plant Administration Building
• Kenhill Center
• City of Bowie Ice Arena

Given budget constraints, the city will tackle these projects over the next several years, Deutsch said.