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Arcata presentation: Community Center solar, LED lighting and battery backup were completed after multiyear effort
Summary
City staff and Redwood Coast Energy Authority presented a completed Arcata Community Center energy-efficiency package — LED sports-field and interior lighting, rooftop solar, and a battery-backup system — noting a roughly $300,000 project cost, Measure H-funded roof replacement, and technical limits on tying the battery to solar until equipment is available.
City staff and representatives of the Redwood Coast Energy Authority (RCEA) told the Arcata City Council on March 4 that a multiyear energy-efficiency and rooftop solar project at the Arcata Community Center is now in place and provides both cost and resilience benefits.
RCEA presenter Roku Fukui said the work began with an initial assessment of the community center in October 2010 and evolved through several proposals. Staff decided on a roof-mounted solar array, LED upgrades to interior fixtures and sports-complex lighting, and a separate battery-backup install. Fukui said high capital costs and rate-schedule changes (moving from NEM2 to NEM3) influenced design choices and that carport-mounted solar proved too expensive due to infrastructure upgrades.
Deputy Director of Environmental Services Emily (last name given in staff materials) said the council allocated Measure H funds to replace the community center roof with metal to extend longevity and reduce solar-installation costs. Staff disclosed a project package cost of roughly $300,000 covering the solar array, sports-complex lights and interior LED upgrades and said the project used a low-interest loan through the California Energy Commission’s Energy Conservation Assistance Act (ECAA) program (staff described the loan as approximately 1% interest).
Fukui and Emily emphasized the project’s resiliency benefits: the community center is an emergency evacuation hub, and paired solar and battery systems will help keep critical services running during outages. They noted, however, that the battery is currently “in front of the meter” while the solar feeds the grid, and staff are awaiting a piece of equipment that would allow an integrated behind-the-meter solar-to-battery tie-in. One council member asked about the timeline to complete that integration; staff said equipment availability and market timing will determine next steps.
“Having the community center as a demonstration site for decarbonization helps reduce greenhouse gases and builds resilience for the community,” an RCEA presenter said. Staff also highlighted operations-and-maintenance (O&M) needs and the importance of long-term O&M plans to ensure systems remain effective as staff or contractors change.
Staff encouraged residents and interested parties to contact the city and RCEA for more details and said the city will look for the next sites to apply similar funding and technical support.
