Emeryville school solar system installed but remains offline after PG&E inspection delay

Eric Anderson, director of maintenance for the Emery Unified School District, told the Emervyille ECCL Governance Committee on Nov. 6 that the district's photovoltaic arrays and battery system are installed but not yet energized because Pacific Gas & Electric did not issue the permit to operate (PTO) after a recent inspection.

Anderson said the original contract was about $5,000,000, with change orders that brought the total to just over $5.5 million, and that the project was completed in three phases (parking lot/field arrays, rooftop arrays and battery). He told the committee that PG&E inspectors flagged the working area for the photovoltaic switchboard as too small and that the highest meter slot exceeded the 73-inch height limit PG&E requires. "They required at least, 36 inches by 30 by 78. Additionally, the highest meter slot can be no more than 73 inches above the working platform," Anderson said. Staff installed guardrails and extended the working area but PG&E still did not issue the PTO at the time of his report.

The committee discussed the timeline and budget implications. Anderson said staff had hoped to complete the PTO quickly and mentioned a three-week optimistic target, but he also said PG&E "has not been very forthcoming with information" and that the contractor has not always guided the process. Co-chair Mora urged escalation and said the city could help press PG&E, adding, "we definitely now need to strong-arm them." Staff said they will arrange a virtual meeting with the contractor (Sizer Co) and PG&E to clarify remaining steps.

Finance staff said the midyear O&M budget adjustment restores about $120,000 to the electricity line as a half-year estimate because the solar system is not yet producing savings. The project is funded by the school bond and developer fees, staff said, and the district is evaluating net-energy-metering options. Committee members asked staff to quantify expected kilowatt-hours and the daily cost of the system remaining offline so city staff can use those figures when contacting PG&E.

District and city staff said they would also review contractor warranties and the independent energy consultant's contract to determine whether remediation costs or delays are covered. Staff identified contractor and vendor contacts on the record (Sizer Co; representatives named Pablo and Paul from Sizer Co and BEI were noted during discussion).

Next steps: staff will set a virtual meeting with the contractor and PG&E to resolve outstanding inspection items, provide a quantitative estimate of lost energy savings to the committee, and coordinate with the city's government-affairs contacts if escalation is needed.