Installation will save the county $25 million . . .
Hamilton County Commissioners will break ground on one of the state’s largest solar panel projects at 10 a.m. on Monday, March 12 at the Hamilton County Health Department in Noblesville.
The $8 million project will feature 9,300 solar panels on building roofs at the Correctional Campus on Cumberland Road and three acres of county property near the main public safety radio tower on the east side of State Road 37. In addition to the solar panels, the county will also change out all lighting to LED energy efficient lighting and convert the jail’s HVAC systems from electric to gas.
“Utilities are the county’s second-highest expense, behind employee salaries and benefits,” County Commissioner Christine Altman said. “This project will save the county $25 million in utility and maintenance costs over the next 25 years.”
The county currently pays $1.6 million a year in utility bills for county facilities. The solar project will provide enough energy to power 38 percent of the jail complex and 100 percent of the Health Services building.
Wood
“This project isn’t about the right now, it’s about our future,” says Steve Wood, Superintendent of Hamilton County Buildings and Grounds. “This project will produce enough clean power to avoid greenhouse emissions equivalent to 10 million driven car miles. Plus, it will be a great learning tool for thousands of school kids right here in Hamilton County.”
Johnson-Melloh Solutions, the project contractor, will provide live web monitoring of the energy being saved by the solar project. The county can share this information with local schools to teach students about energy consumption. Field trips to the solar field will also be available.
The solar project should be complete by late June. The county will make annual payments of $623,000 over 20 years at a 3 percent interest rate. Utility savings generated from this project will pay the capital cost of the project in less than 12 years.