Over the last several years Lansdale Borough has dedicated itself to becoming a more sustainable community. This encompasses everything from the continued development and deployment of electric car charging stations to generating more local green power for our Borough Electric customers.
Recently, we received an update on our local green power initiative that has been, rightfully, dubbed “Project Independence”.
Project Independence is about moving our community toward a future where we maximize our ability to generate our own electrical supply. Historically, Lansdale used to have a coal fired generation plant where the Madison Apartments now stand. We want to replicate the financial flexibility locally generated power provides to our community, but do it in a more sustainable way that isn’t reliant on fossil fuels.
Why is this important to Lansdale? Well, when you peel back the onion of costs on electrical power you quickly realize that a substantial amount of what we pay to bring power to Lansdale is invested in the transmission and distribution of power around (around 35% of our total cost and rising). Additionally, transmitting power over long distances results in power loss (via the lines) of around 5% (sometimes more during periods of high heat). Combined, this means that Lansdale must pay an immense amount of money to bring power to the community and we have to pay for over generation due to line loss.
Generating power locally and in a sustainable way will provide for long-term success of our Lansdale Electric system and for our community.
Over the last several years to further this initiative, Lansdale has invested in over 1,200 solar panels across our municipal properties. This includes the six dual axis arrays next to our electric department. Altogether, these panels were able to offset over $80,000 in energy costs for the borough this past year and are projected to deliver over $100,000 in deferred energy costs annually now that they are out of test and learning mode and will shorten the pay-back window to around seven years (at which point their power generation will be truly additive to our local grid). Put another way: These solar panels have offset enough cost in their first year to fund another mill and overlay project for a roadway. Additionally, as technology continues to improve, these panels will be able to generate even greater amounts of power for our borough.
This was our first full step into a future where we are generating a significant amount of local green energy and is the proof point that we needed to scale this project up. With energy production at that level, it makes sense to review where else we can reasonably build solar arrays to continue to off-set the cost of transmission and power generation for our community to re-invest those costs in other projects needed across the community. We are not generating power locally just for the sake of it — this project truly allows us to do more with the tax dollars we already have.
Now that we have an idea of how much power we can generate we can comprehensively review places like Willow St. Park at the edge of the borough, where solar generation might be possible and sits right next to the main transmission lines on our grid. This means near zero loss of power because it is being generated, literally, next to the distribution line. A solar array system there would be able to generate over 750,000 kWh of power for our community, deferring tens of thousands of more tax dollars to other needs. As with all other previous solar projects, we would be looking for grant dollars to help offset the cost of building our new solar infrastructure so that we can be even more economical in the management of borough funds.
Altogether, this 150th year is an exciting time to undergo this change in our community. Lansdale, one day down the road, could be sustained — or majority sustained — by the solar electric power grid we are building today. That is an exciting prospect and one that our kids and their kids will be able to build off just as we have built off the legacy of our existing Lansdale Electric system developed in 1900. This type of investment will keep Lansdale moving forward together for centuries to come.
(Mayoral Musings is a weekly op-ed column submitted to North Penn Now, courtesy of Lansdale Borough Mayor Garry Herbert. The views expressed are his own.)
See also:
Mayoral Musings: National Night Out Event Scheduled for Tuesday
Mayoral Musings: Let’s Talk About Crime in Lansdale
Mayoral Musings: Honoring ‘Mayor Mike’
Mayoral Musings: Growing the Lansdale Police Department
Mayoral Musings: Reaction to Roe vs Wade Being Overturned
