The finished power-producing solar panels. The carport-like structures were built on either side of the existing center grass median in the lower parking lot of the library. Submitted photo
The rain stopped just long enough for the flip to be switched to solar power at the Brown County Public Library on May 27 — making it the first public building in Brown County to be powered by the sun.
“This was such a cool project,” library Director Stori Snyder said via email on June 3.
“It was an enormous undertaking but so fun to work on. The lasting impact, the fact that it is will continue to give back to the community for decades and decades is what makes it so special.”
“We hope that we’re the first of many,” she continued.
The library’s board of directors approved the $841,920 project last year. Work on the solar panels began last October when landscape was cleared, wiring into the building was run and concrete was poured, according to a press release from the library.
The power-producing solar panels were operational three days head of schedule. The carport-like structures were built on either side of the existing center grass median in the lower parking lot of the library.
Also included in the price tag were other energy conservation measures, including retrofitting lighting in the library to LED.
The board signed a contract with PSG Energy Group of Indianapolis to manage the project, which included installing chargers for electric cars, the LED retrofit, updating building system controls and annual operation and maintenance costs. RBI Solar of Cincinnati installed the carport structure and panels.
Electric Plus, with oversight by PSG, completed the electrical scope of the project to include the electric vehicle chargers.
The first phase of the project was completed last November. In March, the second phase kicked off. The library’s lower parking lot was closed for three months while the two solar carport structures were built and wired.
At the same time more energy efficient moves were happening behind the scenes, including replacing every lightbulb in the building with energy efficient LEDs.
“Our contractors, PSG Energy Group and Electric Plus were essential and exceptional,” the library release states.
“Special thanks goes to project manager Michaela Bell with PSG Energy Group and electrician Mike Jorgensen with Electric Plus. Their expertise and professionalism made the job go smoothly and their personalities made them part of the library family.”
The project was funded without additional cost to taxpayers. Instead, it was paid for with money which would otherwise have been spent on electricity, along with existing funds which have been saved over the years for improvement projects, and a planned fundraising campaign. Some of the funding came from the Tesh Wickard endowment, which was donated to the library and restricted to physical improvements.
It is expected to pay for itself over a 15-year period by producing much of the power the library uses, along with savings gained through energy conservation. The 324 solar panels in the project are expected to produce up to 162,000 kilowatt hours of electricity annually.
Over 100 people attended the library’s Energize Day celebration at the start of Memorial Day weekend including Sen. Eric Koch (R-Bedford). Music filled the air during the celebration courtesy of the Columbus City Brass Quintet.
Snyder and Library Board of Trustees member Tim Kelley addressed the crowd gathered under the new solar panel carports.
Snyder said on June 3 that her new favorite sound is the hum of the inverters.
“You know when you’re a little kid and you just can’t wait for your birthday? You think about the cake, the ice cream, the presents? You keep looking at the calendar and counting down the days? And then finally, the day comes. And you get the cake and the ice cream and the presents. And it’s just perfect. It’s all you wanted. It’s exactly what you had been waiting for all year. You are happy and content and you can’t stop smiling. It felt like that,” she said of flipping the switch to power.
Around 1:30 p.m. the breakers were turned on and the giant switch was flipped to officially make the library a sun-powered building.
And then the rain started again. Cake was served inside at the conclusion of the ceremony.
This combination of solar panels and new lighting is projected to reduce the library’s electric bill by over 90%, according to the release.
A factor in the decision to switch to solar power was also an upcoming change in Indiana’s law on net metering.
Currently, all investor-owned utilities, including Duke Energy which supplies electricity to the library, must credit the retail price to the library when its solar panels produce more power than the library uses. Laws change next month, and overproduction will then be credited at a significantly lower rate than the retail price. But solar systems in operation before July 2022 will continue to fall under current net metering rules until July 2032.
“The electricity generated from the library’s solar panels will feed back into the Duke Energy grid, and because the library went live before July 1, when Indiana’s bill SEA 309 changing net-metering rates goes into effect, the library will receive the current credit rate until July 1, 2032,” the release states.
PSG estimated last summer that after the LED retrofit, updating building automation and installing the solar array, the library could produce 98% of the electricity that was used to power the facility in 2019.
The solar array is projected to offset more than 115 metric tons of carbon dioxide annually, the equivalent of removing 25 automobiles from the road each year.
“Many thanks to everyone who helped make this project happen, including the board of directors for recognizing the benefits, the Friends of the Library for raising $64,397.70 through their “Solar by ’22” campaign and to all of the donors who contributed,” the release states.
The library’s lower level parking lot is open again.
“The carports make great shaded parking from the summer sun,” the release states.
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