City looking at alternative energy projects
Two alternative energy projects under consideration by the city could end up saving taxpayers money and move Whitefish one step closer to a very long-term goal of sustainability.
Solar-thermal equipment placed on the roof of the Emergency Services Center currently under construction at the Baker Commons subdivision could be used to heat domestic hot water, provide snow-melting on the concrete aprons outside the fire equipment bays, or provide radiant heat in the fire equipment bays.
Jeff Arcel, of Whitefish-based Mother's Power, said he's currently discussing plans with the architects and engineers for implementing the solar system.
In one scenario, heat would be collected on the rooftop, circulated in glycol — normal antifreeze — and stored in a 10,000-gallon water tank. Plumbing for the snow-melting system was installed during construction, but a heat source for the system was an unbudgeted alternative during the planning stage.
Public works director John Wilson said sunshine tables providing long-term information for the valley have been maintained in Kalispell. He said Arcel plans to take sun measurements from the roof of the new building.
City councilor Turner Askew expressed concerns about a solar system causing leaks in the building's flat roof during the council's Oct. 19 meeting. Wilson said weights could be used to secure solar equipment without penetrating the expensive roofing membrane.
The city was awarded $144,860 in Montana economic stimulus money through House Bill 645 for the roof, city manager Chuck Stearns said. The idea was to spend the stimulus money quickly to keep people employed, he said.
Stearns noted that the city had sold bonds to pay for the $5.3 million Emergency Services Center before it learned about additional federal money coming its way. That means the bonds can't be paid off early, but items that had been cut from the building's design to save money were back on the table for consideration.
A $900,000 earmark in the Homeland Security Appropriations Act for the center cleared the U.S. Senate last week and is on its way to President Obama for his signature, thanks to the efforts of Sens. Jon Tester and Max Baucus.
Stearns said he also learned about some $200,000 in state grant money available for alternative-energy or energy-conservation projects while attending a recent Montana League of Cities and Towns meeting. He said the city had several ideas about how that money could be spent, but he was told the city's hydroelectric project at the city reservoir was considered a good candidate for the grants.
Arcel and Mother's Power is also involved in planning for the hydroelectric project. His report in May said it could cost about $535,000 to get the city back in the electrical generating business, but with the current recession, the council opted not to budget money this fiscal year for the project.
A turbine and generator installed at the bottom of the pipe connecting First, Second and Third creeks to the city reservoir was installed in 1983, but the pelton wheel was damaged by debris, a lightning strike damaged the generator and controls, and the system gradually went out of use and repair.
According to Arcel's May report, if the original equipment produced an average of $50,000 worth of power per year, it would have generated $1 million in revenue for the city by now.
The viability of the system depends on water flow and water rights. City employees have been collecting flow data daily since March 6, Arcel said. The data indicates the size of a new turbine and generator could be increased by 20-30 percent, he said.
The city is currently talking to Flathead Electric Cooperative and two private companies about paying for new hydroelectric equipment, maintenance, operation and sales of power. The Co-op has been very interested, Wilson said. In one scenario, the Co-op could pre-purchase five or 10 years of power, and the city could use that up-front money to get the system installed and running.
The private companies have talked about paying all the costs for the system. In exchange, the city would receive a royalty. That offer is similar to how the system operated in the 1980s under Hydro Management Inc., of Ronan. Wilson, however, has recommended that the city build, own and operate the system themselves.