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WEDNESDAY, MAY 1312015 • S THE NEWS OF ORANGE COUNTY lo-i commissioners move, forward with pi solar, BY AMANDA VAN DERBROEK News of Orange staff writer a.vanderbroek @newsoforange.com Orange County is moving forward with ways to harness the sun. On Monday, May 5, the Orange County Board of Commissioners endorsed the development of a pilot solar photovoltaic system within county facilities beginning with the Rogers Road Community Center. The project will also be included in the 2015 Orange County Solarize campaigns organized by NextClimate. The pilot program might also lead to using solar - generated energy at the Cedar Grove Community Center, which is currently under renovation. Brennan Bouma, Orange County sustainability coordinator, brought the project before commissioners during his update on the county's solar initiatives. Bouma said solar panels would go on the south side of the community building. "It would be somewhere around 24 kilowatts, and we would cover somewhere between 80 to 100 percent of the energy, the electricity usage of the building," he said. "It would have a $96,000 initial cost." Going it alone, the county would see $2,700 in annual savings and a return on its investment in about 35 years. "With the help of an investor, a private investor would be able to take the tax benefits on the books and would be able to recoup about two - thirds of their investment through those tax benefits," Bouma said. "Instead of annual savings, they would be able to sell the electricity back to the grid with an estimated annual sales of $1,350." Bouma said with that scenerio in about five to seven years, there would be a transfer to the county. Rob Pinder, _executive director of NextClimate, said the group is ready to help the county community campaign like McDougle Middle School in Chapel Hill. "Last year in October, we worked with McDougle Middle School to provide technical assistance and funding and help with fundraising to build a learning installation there at McDougle," Pinder said. "... We love to bring this technical assistance and help with fundraising to a new project in Orange County and are excited about the opportunity to do so at Rogers Road. " Pinder said the idea behind Solarize Orange County is to first give people information so that they can decided whether or not solar is right for them and second to make that switch to make it as easy for them as possible. "In 2014, we had hundreds of people get solar assessments across the county; some 90 homes have made the switch in that campaign," he said. "And in 2015, we're really excited to be working on projects in Chapel Hill, Hillsborough, Carrboro, countywide and new projects with larger players in the Research Triangle." During discussion, commission vice chair Bernadette Pelissier asked if there was any intent to do something with solar at the Cedar Grove Community Center, which is currently being renovated. Jeff Thompson, director of asset management services, said if the Rogers Road project goes well, then solar panels will be an option for the Cedar Grove facility.