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County staff previews photovoltaic study for Lakeland School; recommends waiting until roof replacement
Summary
An engineering study identified photovoltaic (PV) as the most viable renewable option for Lakeland School, with estimated payback in 7–10 years, but staff recommended not installing panels before an upcoming roof replacement and suggested right-sizing a future project to incentives at that time.
Walworth County staff summarized a Harwood Engineering renewable-energy study July 16 that evaluated multiple options for Lakeland School and concluded photovoltaic panels are the most practical approach, but recommended delaying installation until after scheduled roof replacement work.
Study findings Staff said Harwood’s analysis considered solar photovoltaic systems, solar water heating and other technologies; most options outside PV had high operations/maintenance costs or poor return-on-investment profiles. For PV, staff described a range of scalable options: a small system (about 10 kilowatts) costing “a hundred and some thousand dollars” up to a system sized to approach net-zero that would cover the roof and include some ground-mounted arrays. Staff said the study estimated a 7–10 year payback and a 25-year expected panel life; the building’s annual use was reported at about 1,100 kW (as discussed in the packet).
Recommendation to wait for roof replacement Staff strongly recommended not installing panels before a roof replacement. The proposed CIP already includes roof replacement funds; staff said it would be “foolhardy” to put panels on a roof that will be replaced soon because that could require removing and reinstalling panels and raise costs. Instead, staff recommended reserving PV planning for the roof-replacement timeframe and then engaging an architect/engineer and contractor to design a system sized to the then-current incentives and costs.
Practical considerations Staff noted incentives, panel costs and incentive structures are changing quickly and that a future design phase should take advantage of incentives available at that time. They said schools are good solar candidates because their consumption occurs during daytime hours and capital funds can support long-term investments.
Outcome and next steps This was an informational presentation. Staff recommended postponing any PV installation until after roof replacement and designing a project in concert with the roofing timeline and future incentive programs.
