At the July 17, 2025 Public Works Committee meeting, city staff presented a closeout of a 2024–25 Solar plus Storage Feasibility Assessment that examined rooftop photovoltaic (PV) arrays paired with battery energy storage (BES) at two Tumwater fire stations.

Alyssa, a city staff member, said the assessment was funded by a $50,000 Climate Commitment Act grant and did not require a city match. The study produced “shovel-ready” designs that, per the presentation, still require permits and construction funding. Alyssa described two site designs and explained expected energy coverage, outage autonomy, and high-range cost estimates.

For the main fire station, the assessment proposed a 92.8-kilowatt PV array paired with a 125-kilowatt battery energy storage system. Alyssa said that design would cover about 70% of the station’s annual electricity consumption and produce an estimated first-year savings of about $10,500. The design assumes the battery would serve as the primary backup source and the station’s generator would be used only if the battery reaches a low state of charge; the system was sized to provide more than 24 hours of autonomy under typical summer conditions and about 18 hours under normal winter demand, with longer autonomy calculations under higher-demand emergency operations.

Alyssa noted the main station’s BES requires clearances under Washington fire code; the installation would require removing small street trees near the proposed battery location and the battery enclosure includes an on-board fire suppression system. Construction for the main station was estimated in the presentation at about $1.6 million in a high-range estimate; staff said they expect to seek grant funding rather than use general-fund dollars.

The North End fire station design called for a 43.2-kilowatt PV array and a 35-kilowatt battery. The assessment concluded that the North End system would meet or slightly exceed annual consumption in many months; Alyssa said winter autonomy estimates are lower (roughly 39 hours for December–January under normal demand assumptions) and contractors recommended replacing the station’s roof (installed in 2017, rated in fair condition) before installing a solar array. The North End station’s construction high-range estimate was below $1 million, per the presentation.

Alyssa said staff have performed similar feasibility work for City Hall and the library; of municipal buildings she identified the library as the highest priority for pursuit of construction funding because it serves as the city’s heating-and-cooling shelter and a loss-of-life risk was a key concern for council and staff.

Councilmember Swartout and Councilmember Michael Althauser both praised the work and urged staff to pursue appropriate grant opportunities. Alyssa said the Climate Commitment Act and Puget Sound Energy grant opportunities are potential funding sources and that federal IRA direct-pay incentives may affect grant design in upcoming solicitation rounds.

No committee action was required; staff reported they will actively pursue grant funding, align project scopes with available programs and return with proposals if and when construction funding is secured.