More solar panels could come to town

Chapel Hill is trying to bring some energy to its sustainability movement.

The town is considering partnering with private businesses to add solar panels to some of its existing facilities.

John Richardson, the sustainability officer for the town, presented a proposal about installing solar panels to the Chapel Hill Town Council on Jan. 27.

Richardson said he believes Chapel Hill could benefit from a project like this, while also setting an example for other communities.

“What the town has an opportunity to do is lead by example by putting up a renewable energy facility that certainly is visible to the public,” he said.

Richardson is asking the council to approve an investigation into the feasibility of adding solar power to Chapel Hill through a host-to-own model.

Under this model, a private, third-party entity would lease town property and install a solar panel system. This entity would later sell the energy collected by the panels back to the energy grid.

While the town would benefit from the revenues generated from the lease, the private entity would benefit from generous tax incentives.

North Carolina is one of the top states in the nation in terms of solar panel installations through its generous incentive packages.

Two locations, the Homestead Aquatic Center and the Chapel Hill Transit bus parking lot, have been explored as possible options for the project.

Installation at the Aquatic Center site might cost about $350,000, Richardson said. He said the third-party entity would likely assume this cost.

The Appalachian Institute for Renewable Energy, a nonprofit that helps communities develop renewable energy systems, is working as a consultant for the town and is due to provide a report on interest level among residents and businesses and other forms of feedback.

Chapel Hill resident Bruce Sampsell wrote a letter to Richardson advising him to take precautions with the project.

“As you and others explore the financial feasibility of Community Financed Solar Power for the two specific Town facilities, I hope the desire to do something green doesn’t fog the need for these initiatives to be sound business propositions,” he wrote in his letter to the council.

Sampsell said he wants the town to fully analyze this project from all angles.

He said he is concerned this project could be harmful to Chapel Hill’s AAA credit rating, which determines how cheaply the town can borrow money.

“When something sounds too good to be true, it usually is, and the devil is in the details,” Sampsell said in an interview Monday. “It just really requires a lot of scrutiny.”

Councilwoman Maria Palmer said she advocated for the town to increase its efforts to be environmentally sustainable.

She said she also believes UNC students could play more of a role in the town’s efforts toward cleaner energy.

“We could have our students involved in solving the town’s problems, and I think solar energy should be at the top of the list,” she said.

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