Manatee County Government
Manatee County approves solar panel installation, saving $100,000 a year
MANATEE COUNTY, FL (Aug. 23, 2011) – Manatee County Commissioners this morning approved an agreement to install solar panels atop several County facilities, action that will result in taxpayer savings of up to $100,000 a year in energy costs.
The Board accepted an agreement to install 26 solar panel systems at 17 County facilities including the DeSoto Center complex, the Tax Collector’s Office, the Property Appraiser’s Office and Central Library. The photovoltaic equipment will capture free kilowatt hours that will add up to an annual savings of $100,000.
Under the agreement, Datacomm Services (DCS) will loan Manatee County the panels for five years. At the end of the term, DCS will sell the equipment to the County for $1.00 apiece or will remove the equipment at no cost to the County. The County will pay approximately $4,000 per system in engineering, permitting and net metering costs.
DCS will apply for a U.S. Treasury Department energy grant for businesses through the 2009 Federal stimulus package, and the company will retain federal and state tax rebates and any of the Renewable Energy Credits for the life of the panels.
Today’s action was the latest in a series of energy saving measures the County, a certified Green Government, has taken in recent years. The most high profile of these initiatives was the retrofit of energy efficiency and lighting systems at the county’s four largest facilities resulting in an annual taxpayer savings of $479,309, a 24 percent savings in the County’s electrical costs at those buildings.
Earlier this year crews completed a new energy efficient chiller connected to the Manatee County Historic Courthouse is expected to save Manatee taxpayers an estimated $138,000 a year in energy and maintenance costs.
For more information on Manatee County Government, visit online at www.mymanatee.org or call (941) 748-4501.