Eagle unveils new solar array that will power about 70% of wastewater facility’s needs
The $3 million project took two years and multiple partners to complete
Chris Dillmann/Vail Daily
The town of Eagle and partners Thursday unveiled a new solar energy array at the town’s wastewater treatment plant.
Town Sustainability Specialist Kira Koppel said the $3 million project has been in the works for a couple of years now, and has required help from partners including Holy Cross Energy, Sunsense Energy and a $750,000 grant from the Colorado Department of Local Affairs. The array, which is online now, will cover about 70% of the electric needs of the wastewater treatment plant, which is the town’s biggest energy user.
- $3 million: Cost of the new solar energy array at the town of Eagle’s wastewater treatment facility.
- 1.28 million pounds: Estimated carbon emission offset.
- 56 homes: Equivalent amount of energy produced by the array.
- 70%: Amount of the energy needs of the wastewater plant the array will handle.
Eagle Town Council member Geoff Grimmer said that’s a big part of the reason the array has been located at the wastewater facility.
“We burn through a lot of electrons at this facility,” Grimmer said, “so it’s in close proximity to that as a solution.”
Mike Steiner of Holy Cross Energy said the site was the best place for the array and is helping the utility get to its goal of getting 100% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030. Steiner noted that Holy Cross now gets roughly 83% of its electricity from renewable sources.
Support Local Journalism
Grimmer noted that the array is also helping Eagle reach its own sustainability goals.
“It’s not just really a question of (greenhouse gas) reduction. … It’s more like how do you rethink your economy so you’re leaner, meaner and … a higher quality of life for everybody.”
Anthony Lamorte of Yearout Energy said his company has been working with the town for two years. Lamorte said the commitment from the town isn’t just from a green initiative, but also how to accomplish that goal in a “financially responsible” manner.
“That’s really how we approach this entire project is what’s the payback on this system?” Lamorte said. Lamorte added that Yearout and Holy Cross worked on a financial analysis of the system, with the panels’ service life of about 30 years and the inverters — the devices that generate electricity — expected to last about 15 years. The payback from the system was less than the lifespan of the equipment.
That led Grimmer to quip, “This is a money tree. So once you plant it, money just falls out of it.”
