SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Solar electricity systems are being installed at nine U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Sacramento District park and dam operation offices in California, part of a Corps-wide effort to improve the environmental sustainability of its projects.
The systems, paid for with funds provided through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), are expected to provide 41 percent of each office's electricity needs on average, said Sacramento District Northern Area Operations Manager Phil Holcomb.
"All of the District lakes are receiving photovoltaic (solar electric) systems, and it's all being driven by three basic forces," Holcomb said. "About eight years ago, the Corps implemented seven environmental operating principles. Principle number one was environmental sustainability. And there are two executive orders (Executive Orders 13423 and 13514) providing the driving force, also. Those executive orders require all federal agencies to reduce energy consumption and reduce greenhouse gases, and start utilizing recycled materials wherever possible.
"By 2015, federal agencies have to reduce their energy consumption by 30 percent. District wide, by just adding these photovoltaic systems, we're reducing our energy consumption at the project offices by 41 percent. So that will go a long way toward meeting the overall goal for the Corps of Engineers' Sacramento District."
The solar panels at New Hogan Lake will not only reduce energy consumption, Holcomb said, but also greenhouse gases - by more than 28,000 pounds annually, the same as planting six acres of trees. District wide, the panels will cut carbon emissions by 156,000 pounds annually. The solar panels are just one of a series of measures Sacramento District park offices have taken to reduce energy consumption, he said.
"We're about half done retrofitting the New Hogan project office with LED lighting," Holcomb said. "That reduces the 40 watts we originally had down to about 15 watts per bulb. In addition, we've replaced our large electric water heater with an instantaneous water heater, which only uses energy when you're actually using the water. The executive order (Executive Order 13514) also calls for reducing the amount of fuel your fleet vehicles use. And to help accomplish this goal, we've obtained two hybrid electric vehicles for the fleet here at New Hogan."
The $1.26 million contract to provide and install all of the solar systems was awarded in September to Women's Empowerment Partnership Inc. of Bell Gardens, Calif., an 8(a) designated contractor. The Small Business Administration's 8(a) program helps small businesses owned by socially or economically disadvantaged persons secure federal contracts.
Installation of the system at New Hogan Lake was completed Feb. 26, with all system installations scheduled to be completed by June 2010. Offices at Englebright Lake, Stanislaus River Parks, Lake Isabella Dam, Black Butte Lake, Eastman Lake, Pine Flat Lake, Hensley Lake and Lake Kaweah will also receive solar electricity systems under the contract.
"This project is doing exactly what the stimulus dollars were intended to do," Holcomb said. "It's providing business opportunity to a small, disadvantaged business, and in turn, it's allowing local people to do the solar installation. And as a secondary benefit, the federal government is reducing its energy consumption and meeting our sustainability goals. It's a great project for the Corps to be involved in."
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