Project proposal - "Solar City"

Ok, so here goes (I've never blogged before so signing in was a challenge). Below is a project idea I bounced off a couple of folks just to sanity test it. With some really good input and polishing, here's what we pulled together and hope it is one that will be worth batting around further at the brainstorming session. At any rate, thanks for considering it.

I. “Solar City” Project

II. Mission: To reduce overall community energy consumption through installation of renewable energy projects and education on best practices in this area.

III. Class Project Concept: Through an initial pilot project, we will analyze the energy use of a Park City non-profit organization (beneficiary) to establish a baseline of consumption during a typical year. This step will highlight initial cost savings opportunities through energy management techniques to lower this baseline (and thus, operating costs). With the baseline set, we will scale a proposed photovoltaic system, a solar thermal system, or both; the goal being to offset a substantial portion, if not all, of the beneficiary’s grid sourced electricity, natural gas or both, thereby providing an ongoing cost savings to the beneficiary.

Through implementation of this project, we will log the physical, financial and regulatory steps so as to create a “how to” booklet for other members of the community to use in considering their own such systems, as well as for related educational purposes. This effectively creates a template that is easily followed and removes most, if not all, roadblocks to community members taking action. In some instances, we may be helping the regulating authorities in the city and the county in revising or even establishing rules on these. We will also investigate and potentially test the federal rules that overrule HOA restrictions on rooftop systems like these to further streamline the process and open up the market for these systems.

We seek to develop a bulk purchase mechanism to reduce both material and installation costs of such systems in an effort to reduce the overall unit cost for business and homeowners. This requires coordinating the purchase of such systems by multiple area businesses, residences, and organizations, as well as providing to vendors and installers multiple customers at once with a goal of at least 10 consumers.

Reduction of potential costs will include providing information on, and utilization of, city, state, and federal tax benefits, as well as private business programs and rebates, to minimize the cost to the beneficiary and accelerate the payback period on these installations.

Lastly, we will work with the city, county, state and the private sector to support efforts in regulatory, sales tax, public relations, property tax, and possibly grant opportunities to streamline the process and reduce the implementation costs.

This project is scalable both in breadth and depth so depending on constraints, we can limit our efforts to a single installation, energy audit template and “how-to” booklet. If met with enthusiasm, the program can expand to increase the number of beneficiaries and work for additional support from our town, county, state and others.

IV. Benefits:
• Long term economic support of a local non-profit organization
• General educational outreach on energy efficiency and conservation
• Clarify rules, restrictions on installation of solar systems
• Create materials (deliverables) to support residents and businesses in decreasing energy consumption (works for owners and tenants) and providing a “how to” for installation of solar systems
• Maximize benefit of city, county, state, federal and other grants, rebates and incentives to reduce costs
• Leverage collective buying power with vendors and installers
• Tie local businesses to local non profits more closely
• Generate local and regional publicity about the pilot project to increase interest in and acceptance of these systems
• Significantly reduce our community’s energy consumption (energy mostly from coal fired power plants) thereby saving our air, our snow, our water and thus our quality of life and property values
• Further educate the community with regard to the following benefits: global warming, limits of the Earth’s resources and the conservation thereof, health and air quality, property values.

V. Talents / Skills Needed to Implement: As the largest leadership class to date, Leadership XIV has the size, breadth and depth of talent, experience and knowledge to take on a project of this magnitude, and maximize its benefits in our community. We see the need for
• negotiating skills
• financial analysis
• accounting expertise
• legal support
• project management
• public relations and outreach
• writing skills
• fundraising skills
• networking and sales
• event planning
• grant writing
• construction trade skills
• knowledge of and contacts in city and county government (and beyond if we are successful in these first few).

VI. (Other?)

VII. Potential beneficiaries of pilot project:
a. Swaner Nature Preserve
b. National Ability Center
c. Olympic Park
d. People’s Health Clinic
e. Recycle Utah
f. Egyptian Theatre Company
g. Mountainlands Community Housing Trust
h. Furburbia or Summit County Friends of Animals
i. KPCW
j. Kimball Arts Center
Note. Potential beneficiaries either need to be paying their own power bill, own their own building or have a long-term lease with a landlord willing to pass on the energy savings through the lease.

Regards,

Alex