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Lemoore staff outline solar installations for water wells; PG&E review identifies near‑term bill savings
Summary
Public works staff reported 11 solar sites serving water wells, noted damage to one array, and described a PG&E review that identified roughly $93,459.09 in possible savings to be realized within two billing cycles by changing rate classifications; a separate Engie feasibility study will assess adding more solar.
Assistant Public Works Director Juan Diego Lopez and Management Analyst Jamar Heegi gave the council an overview on May 20 of the city’s solar sites that offset electrical costs at water wells and related facilities.
Lopez said the city has 11 solar sites supporting wells and related equipment; many were installed around February 2015 and were funded in part by grants and city contributions. He said the arrays are sized differently by well: some sites primarily serve booster stations or lagoon aerators, while others support production wells.
Lopez and Heegi told council that Well 7’s array is not currently functional because of wire and equipment damage associated with a 2021 water incident; that outage affects reported production on the city’s historical graphs. He noted that some wells are operated only for emergencies or infrequently due to water quality issues.
Heegi summarized a recent April 14 meeting with a PG&E local customer relationship manager in which staff reviewed generating and beneficiary accounts, incentives and rate classifications. He said the PG&E representative identified “different solar incentives” and, based on rate‑classification changes for some accounts, staff found potential savings of $93,459.09 that the city would begin to see in two billing cycles.
When council asked about the Cinnamon Municipal Center array, staff said the chart shown reflected the original incentive amount and the original installation price; Heegi said he would research historical billing data to clarify how much the city currently realizes from that installation. Lopez added that the panels visible over the municipal parking lot feed a well rather than the municipal complex building itself; a separate thin‑film system that formerly powered the building is no longer functioning.
Lopez and Heegi also told council that Engie conducted a feasibility study on adding solar to other city sites; the city has a first draft and expects further review next week that could recommend additional arrays or site changes to increase production.
Council members asked about maintenance and whether arrays could ever cover total usage; staff said that depends on how often wells run and the scale of new panels, and indicated further research would be required. No formal policy or contract changes were proposed at the May 20 presentation.
