Solar Panels Could Save Fayetteville $6 Million
Fayetteville workers installed the first large-scale solar grid system that could save Fayetteville $6 million over the life of the project.
By Abby Zimmardi
The Razorback Reporter
The first large-scale solar panel arrangement and battery storage unit in the mid-South could save Fayetteville $6 million and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, a city official said.
“This project came about because of long-range plans developed by the city in its commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” said Chris McNamara, the city of Fayetteville sustainability project manager.
Today’s Power, Inc., the solar panel provider, joined the city and Ozarks Electric Cooperative, the maintenance provider, to make this project possible, said Jennah Denney, marketing and public relations coordinator for Today’s Power, Inc.
The mayor, city officials and power company executives who were involved with the project gathered at the West Side Wastewater Treatment Facility Sept. 6 to ‘Flip the Switch,’ Denney said.
City officials last year set in motion the plan with a goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and achieving 100% clean energy by 2030, McNamara said. The plan is called the energy action plan and this sparked the solar panel project.
This project brought the city to 73% renewable energy, Denney said. This is a substantial amenity both economically and environmentally.
The solar panels and battery storage will use renewable energy to offset the use of fossil fuels, McNamara said. This project cost $22 million but will save the city $6 million.
“It’s $182,000 savings annually,” McNamara said. “It equals six million over the life of the project; it’ll last 20 years.”
The money saved from the project will help to loosen the city’s budget, McNamara said. This means more flexibility for improvements to the city, such as designing better sidewalks or investing in alternative transportation methods.
The solar panels will bring economic development, Denney said.
“That means that more improvements for the city,” Denney said.
This project will create more opportunities for growth and impact future generations, Denney said.
It will also impact the university by showing the students and staff about what can be achieved, McNamara said.
“The university has a net zero emissions goal itself,” McNamara said. “What it does is it strengthens the hands of the university and shows what’s possible and shows opportunities of what’s possible in the future.”
Because the campus has an energy provider other than the solar grid, this project will not directly impact the university, said Alan Mantooth, professor of electrical engineering.
The bigger deal of the project is the utilities that were put into it, Mantooth said. They made it so that coal or nuclear energy would not be used, making it more sustainable.
City officials in Arkansas are not usually the first to design and carry out an amenity like ‘Flip the Switch,’ Denney said.
“Arkansas was a trendsetter in the mid-South for this project,” Denney said.
After this project, Arkansas residents can expect to see more sustainable energy from solar panels, Mantooth said.
“We’re starting to see more and more penetration of solar power in Arkansas,” Mantooth said.
Arkansas is ranked 13th in the nation for solar potential, but it is near the last in development, McNamara said.
“This is one of the first municipal solar projects that combines battery storage,” McNamara said. “It’s a leader in the southeast for combined solar and battery storage.”