City-Owned Solar Installation - 2013
In July 2013, crews activated the first City-owned solar power project on the Island. Built entirely with grant money from Puget Sound Energy (PSE) and citizen donations, the 22-panel demonstration installation located at the Mercer Island Community and Event Center will produce approximately 4450 kilowatt hours of electricity per year, using solar panels and electrical inverters made in Washington State.
At a July 23, 2013, event, Mayor Bruce Bassett led partners, City staff, and key community stakeholders in a formal ribbon-cutting ceremony and open-house celebration. Mercer Island's success in meeting Puget Sound Energy's Green Power Challenge (to encourage adoption of renewable energy by Washington communities), led to a $30,000 challenge grant for the solar photo-voltaic (PV) project. In 2012, citizen-based Green Ribbon Commission persuaded an additional 250 homes and businesses on Mercer Island to sign up, increasing enrollment by 55%. Area residents supportive of solar power donated an additional $5,500 towards the project.
How It Works
The installation is connected directly to the largest events room (the "Mercer Room") in the Community Center, helping power that facility and replacing power that the City would otherwise buy. The array will also generate approximately $2,500/year in revenue under the Washington State Production Incentive Program for 8 years. This income will be invested in additional City energy-efficiency measures.
You can check the power production of the solar array at any time by visiting our E-gauge webpage. Peak production usually occurs near noon each day, and will be highest in the summer months, although modern panels do produce energy even during cloudy and rainy weather. A green line depicts power output, while a red line tracks power consumed by the Mercer Room; when the green number is greater than the red number, most of the room is running on solar power, and any excess power is distributed to the rest of the building. The E-gauge website also details the cost savings over time - view a screenshot of the software below.
In July 2013, this City-owned demonstration array was the 25th solar project on the Island, and it brought the local production of renewable energy from solar PV to 124 kW installed. You can add your home or business to that list and start earning production income too! Learn more about renewable energy options.
Specifications:
- Size: 4400 Watts (4.4kW)
- Average annual production: 4500 kilowatt-hours
- Number of panels: 22 x 200-Watt Silicon Energy modules
- Inverter: Silicon Energy 5300
- Racking: Schletter Custom Racking System
- Monitoring: E-Gauge online
- Installer: Artisan Electric, Inc.
Click here to view real-time power production
