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ORANGE COUNTY <br />BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br />ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br />Meeting Date: May 5, 2015 <br />Action Agenda <br />Item No. 7 -b <br />SUBJECT: Orange County Solar Development Initiatives Update <br />DEPARTMENT: Asset Management Services, PUBLIC HEARING: (Y /N) No <br />Department of Environment, <br />Agriculture, Parks & <br />Recreation <br />ATTACHMENT(S): <br />Solar Development Model Illustration <br />PURPOSE: To: <br />INFORMATION CONTACT: <br />Brennan Bouma, 919 - 245 -2626 <br />Jeff Thompson, 919 - 245 -2658 <br />David Stancil, 919 - 245 -2522 <br />1) receive an update and provide feedback on the County's discussions to further educate <br />and develop solar energy initiatives (rooftop photovoltaic, ground- mounted solar arrays, <br />solar power storage technology, etc.) within Orange County in alignment with the 2015 <br />"Solarize" Campaigns organized by NextClimate (Orange County, Carrboro, Chapel Hill, <br />and Hillsborough); <br />2) endorse the development of a pilot solar photovoltaic system within County facilities, <br />beginning with the Rogers Road Community Center; and <br />3) include this proposed pilot within the 2015 Orange County "Solarize" campaigns. <br />BACKGROUND: Orange County is a leader in North Carolina (among both the public and <br />private sectors) in successfully developing and delivering alternative and more sustainable <br />energy for County facilities and assets. The success of the geothermal ground source heat <br />pump technology within the Hillsborough east campus of public facilities is a prime example. <br />The Board may recall that Asset Management Services has been studying the economics of <br />solar energy for several years and has reserved recommendation to the Board for solar <br />photovoltaic ( "PW) alternative energy investment until the economics of this technology made <br />sense as more reasonable material and development cost structures emerged. After an initial <br />County facility solar energy assessment and the market acceptance of new financing models, <br />staff recommends the Board endorse pilot phase of solar energy development within County <br />facilities. The attachment, "Solar Development Model Illustration ", provides a basic guide to a <br />solar development project using these market - accepted models. <br />