City Tests Renewable Energy Project

The is installing 104 solar panels and a 43-foot wind turbine at its street division maintenance complex, but will pay just 1.7 percent of the total project cost, city officials said. 

O’Fallon Public Relations Director Tom Drabelle said a grant of $99,145 from the Department of Energy and an Ameren rebate of $50,000 will fund all but $2,630 of the total bid awarded to St. Louis-based contractor Guarantee Electric. Drabelle said the installation will test the viability of renewable energy technology in O’Fallon.

“We were hoping to use this as a pilot program, a bit of a demonstration, also. We want to use this to get a feel for it—does this pay off?” he said.

Drabelle listed Guarantee Electric’s estimates for annual solar production in a press release at about 34,710 kilowatt hours (kWh). A standard energy measurement, one kWh would run your 1,000 watt heater, for instance, for an hour. This energy is generated free of cost and will reduce green house gas emissions by 594 tons of CO2 throughout 25 years—equivalent to 23,776 trees planted, the release stated. It’s more difficult to make predictions about the wind turbine, which will not turn on unless winds reach 6 mph.

The Dan Buesse is project manager for the installation. He said the Department of Energy grant also provides public access to real-time energy production updates on the city’s website, with a kiosk at City Hall displaying the same. The goal is to increase awareness and enthusiasm for renewable energy within the community.

“It’s a good opportunity for the city to take a look at it and bring awareness to the public. This is a goal for us, to continue to become more ‘green,’” Buesse said. He said construction should only take about six weeks of the total 90 days allotted.

Buesse and Drabelle both noted that the project is in line with the city’s recently adopted Energy Strategic Plan. The 23-page document, issued by the mayor’s advisory green council, reports on the strengths and weaknesses of O’Fallon’s energy economy. Included is the city’s recycling rate—21.67 percent of solid waste through June 2010, better than any city within 300 miles, but also data showing overall energy consumption remains high. The plan discusses a range of solutions for “an improved green environment by increased awareness and implementation from the government, citizens, and business community.”

O’Fallon Director of Planning and Development David Woods is staff liaison to the green advisory council. He said they play a role in making policy recommendations for larger-scale government projects, but emphasized that “going green” also has a lot to do with individual actors.

“We're trying to get the word on out things you can do as an individual in your home to make things more efficient. Sealing off duct work for your HVAC or heater, knowing where your vents are. Your attic access panel, weather stropping that,” Woods said. He pointed to an updated page on O’Fallon’s website containing links to many more such practical tips for improving energy efficiency at home.

Woods also said educating the public on these issues was important. Advisory council members frequently travel to area schools for presentations about renewable energy and living green—often with the city’s recycling mascot, Roscoe the Recycling Raccoon, in tow, he said.

“If you don't know this stuff, how can you be more efficient? It's the little things that add up,” Woods said.