MISSOULA - A lmost 1,000 solar panels are helping the City of Missoula move toward a cleaner, greener future.
“It’s big because it’s the first step I’d say in a cleaner energy portfolio for the city of Missoula,” shared City of Missoula Engineering Manager Ross Mollenhauer.
The Missoula Public Works & Mobility Department has completed a solar panel array project in partnership with Ameresco, a clean energy developer.
Due to the partnership, the array was built at zero cost to the city. It is now bringing solar energy to the City’s Wastewater Treatment Plant.
“Whenever you’re moving water, it’s, water’s heavy and it takes a lot of energy,” said Mollenhauer.
“Water utility is the biggest power user in the city. Wastewater utility is kind of the next biggest area of power demand," added Deputy Public Works Director for Utilities Logan McInnis.
The Resource Recovery Facility (wastewater treatment plant) deals with wastewater and material reuse which contributes to most of the city’s emissions.
According to The City of Missoula, solid waste is less than 1%, employee commuting is at 5%, lighting of the streets sits at 6%, vehicles contribute 12%, building and facilities come in at 18%, and finally, water and wastewater emissions are 58% which is more than triple the next highest sector.
The solar panels will be instrumental in decreasing the wastewater plant's energy consumption.
“This power that’s being generated by these solar panels right now is being used at the treatment plant to run pumps, to run blowers, and parts of the treatment process and that [are] 24/7. People are sending wastewater down the pipes all the time and so you can’t turn that off; you gotta be using the energy and it’s great that we have it’s great that we can do that sustainably now,” Mollenhauer told MTN.
The solar panels will produce about 20% of the electricity needed to operate the wastewater treatment plant which will offset about 3% of the city’s overall emissions.
“Out of 100, it seems like a small number but you have to start somewhere and you know this is a big step for us. For the next 25 years they’re gonna be churning out kilowatt-hours without any additional carbon impact on the planet,” explained McInnis.
People and the planet will reap the benefits of clean energy; money will stay in your pocket as using solar is cost-effective for consumers and the planet will have less emission and extraction damage.
