Catching Rays on the Roof, Alameda Free Library Goes Solar

Alameda is a little bit greener today—and not just because spring has finally arrived. 

Solar panels—286 of them—were lifted onto the roof of the Thursday. When installed, the new energy source will ease reliance on the city's electrical grid for the 47,500-square-foot building and help Alameda in its bid to be the greenest city in California.  

“It’s a great example to our community to have such a high-profile building go green,” said Matt McCabe, spokesperson for , which helped support the installation.

Funding for the $570,000 project came mostly from the Obama Administration's American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which contributed $414,000 to the cost of the solar array. A $153,000 rebate through AMP paid for the rest.

Designed and installed by Sun Light & Power, a Berkeley-based solar firm, the 67.2-kilowatt system is expected to generate 90,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity a year, equivalent to the annual carbon emissions from 12 passenger cars.

“Solar saves energy and money over the long term,” said Craig Spahn, project manager at Sun Light & Power. “Given the 30-plus years lifespan of the systems, they will be producing clean power long after the systems have paid for themselves in energy savings.”

The solar panels use a photovoltaic system to convert sunlight into electricity, which is then sent to the power grid. Energy generated by the PV system will offset the building’s power use and lower the library's utility bill. The system is expected to generate about 20 percent of the energy used by the library.

The solar panels will be educational as well. Library staff plan to install a touch-screen kiosk in the lobby, where visitors can learn about renewable energy. Features include videos on ways to be more energy-efficient, an online energy calculator and a real-time monitor of the library's solar system.

“The monitor will show how much energy is on demand and how much is provided by the solar installation,” said Jane Chisaki, Alameda Free Library director.

The Greening of the Island

Since 2008, the city has adopted a number of programs to reduce its carbon footprint, including a resolution to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 25 percent of the 2005 baseline level. 

The idea to go solar emerged when planning for the new main library was under way. The Library Building Team, a group of community members, library  and other city staff, and architects, wanted to make the new library an environmentally friendly building. The team set out to earn LEED certification, a worldwide standard used to measure building sustainability. The library earned LEED’s “silver certification,” the second tier of four levels. 

“The LBT kept solar installation in the plans for the future should funding become available,” said Chisaki. 

More than 80 percent of the city’s electricity comes from clean and renewable sources, mainly geothermal, hydroelectric and landfill gas. 

“We were green before it was cool to be green,” said Alameda Municipal Power's McCabe.