Whitefish continues to push ahead with plans to put in a photo voltaic panel facility close to its wastewater therapy plant on Monegan Street.
The Metropolis Council throughout a latest work session directed metropolis workers to work on an settlement with Flathead Electrical Cooperative for a neighborhood photo voltaic facility that can seemingly be a set panel system anticipated to provide 200 kilowatts. The power will probably be managed and maintained by FEC.
New details about the effectivity of the wastewater therapy plant has helped decide that the neighborhood photo voltaic challenge can generate roughly one-third of the annual electrical energy wants of the wastewater therapy facility.
In early February 2022, the Council directed metropolis workers to review this potential challenge and create a draft settlement with the FEC. In July, councilors thought-about a further plan to work with the FEC to put in a neighborhood photo voltaic panel array on a 1-acre city-owned property.
Whereas the town supplied the land for the challenge, all upfront capital and upkeep prices are the FEC’s duty, in line with Public Works Director Craig Workman.
Beforehand the panels have been anticipated to be bought by people at an estimated value of $1,000 every. A federal tax rebate is offered for patrons of the panels.
Nevertheless, two federal applications are identified to assist finance the challenge and with a view to apply it, some modifications to the primary proposal have been made. FEC is anticipated to use for a USDA Rural Power for America Program grant for about 30% of the challenge’s price, roughly $140,000. To use, the challenge should first be designed, bid and a contractor chosen. The appliance is due on the finish of March.
The FEC can also qualify for the federal authorities’s 30% tax credit score for photo voltaic tasks below the Inflation Discount Act.
With these federal applications, the panel’s price per member is tremendously decreased to between $400 and $700. Because of the necessities of the federal grant program, FEC will promote the vitality output of the panel, somewhat than the bodily panel.
“It isn’t the precise bodily panel that is being bought, it is the vitality output from the panel,” stated metropolis engineer Karin Hilding.
Individuals who purchase panel vitality should not eligible for a tax credit score, nonetheless, the vitality produced by the panel is taken as an vitality credit score from the customer’s utility invoice over time.
If the town needs to purchase panels, Workman prompt one choice.
“The wastewater plant is best than they anticipated from an vitality perspective, so I count on $5,000 to $10,000 in extra price range that we do not spend on vitality,” Workman stated. “We do not know what a panel will price however we expect that can give us about 10 panels.”
The Bonneville Environmental Basis has expressed curiosity in buying some panels and donating them to offset the vitality use of native low-income residents. The FEC will coordinate this program with the Low Revenue Power Help Program operated by the Neighborhood Motion Partnership of Northwest Montana.
The proposed settlement between the town and the FEC is for a 30-year time period and continues to be being negotiated. The panels might be put in this summer time or fall.
