HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 12-01-2014-13 (5)INFORMATION ITEM
Orange County
Asset Management Services
Jeffrey E. Thompson, Director
November 24, 2014
To: Bonnie Hammersley, Orange County Manager
From: Wayne Fenton, Asset Management Services Assistant Director
RE: Solarization for Orange County buildings
N\ 16,
Background
At the Board of County Commissioners' September 4, 2014 meeting, staff were asked to investigate
possible opportunities with the North Carolina Clean Energy Technology Center (formerly the NC Solar
Center) for assessing the feasibility of incorporating solar elements in or on County buildings. Staff
communicated with Tommy Cleveland, Renewable energy Project Coordinator, as well Jim Kennerly,
Senior Policy Analyst and Autumn Proudlove, Policy Analyst, regarding such opportunities.
Staff learned that:
• this team did do some informal work for the City of Raleigh as well as the City of Greensboro;
• there would be a fee for service for site assessments;
• there may be an opportunity for a portion of the work to receive grant funding via the federal
Department of Energy; • f LP� '&- -- _dM�:.
• a primary function performed by this team is to assist municipalities to reduce costs by
streamlining the permitting process for solar installations;
• a private sector partner is needed to take advantage of available tax credits, to achieve best
payback;
• the city of Raleigh used an open -ended RFP process for identifying private sector partners
.',-1f,
Staff plan to meet initially with Mr. Cleveland to, hopefully, identify a process for the assessment of at
least some County facilities within the next few weeks. Brennan Bouma, the County's new
Sustainability Coordinator, will be present at this meeting and will be managing the on -going process.
Please don't hesitate to contact me directly with questions, or if additional information is required at this
time.
Thanks,
Wayne Fenton
919- 245 -2625
P.O. Box 8181 * 131 West Margaret Lane _3rd Floor* Hillsborough, North Carolina 27278
Telephone: Area Code 919 245 -2625
Fax: 644 -3001
E -mail: jethompson @orangecountync.gov