Portland Fish Pier Authority authorizes no-cost roof assessment to pursue solar grant

Heather Moretti summarized a recent Fish Exchange subcommittee meeting with a solar expert from Maine Energy Experts and said the group had identified a grant opportunity that could provide up to $300,000 toward rooftop solar. "We've got up to $300,000 to spend if we get the C main grant," Heather said, adding that that amount would cover only part of a full‑roof installation.

The solar consultant presented two paths: a partial installation using the grant funds, which would not eliminate the monthly energy bill, or a full‑roof installation combining grant funding and a loan (Heather said a loan from CEI had been discussed at about a 5% rate and an estimated seven‑year payback if the full roof were covered). Heather and others said the panels could significantly offset monthly energy costs but would not necessarily eliminate them under the grant‑only scenario.

Members discussed practical and legal contingencies before moving forward. Kayla Gonzales asked staff to check the lease, noting the lease language may assign roof responsibility to the city and that corporation counsel should confirm whether the authority may undertake roof work. Phil DiPietro and others emphasized that any work financed by grant funds would likely require the city to accept the grant and require a public bid/RFP process for contractors.

Maine Energy Experts offered to perform a roof assessment at no cost (Heather said that the typical cost for such an assessment would be "$2,500 to $3,000"). Members also noted the roof has a 20‑year warranty and that the building is about 10 years into that warranty, which staff said offers sufficient life to consider installing panels.

Meredith moved and a board member seconded a motion to accept the vendor’s no‑cost roof assessment and to allow Heather and staff to prepare a grant application. The board voted to proceed. After the vote Heather said, "I will get this moving forward."

Board members instructed staff to: confirm lease terms and ownership/repair responsibilities with corporation counsel; consult public‑works and any departments that previously placed rooftop equipment (members recalled an ice‑machine restriction) to check for constraints; and account for the city’s grant‑acceptance timeline and required procurement processes when drafting the application and schedule. Heather said the cited grant’s completion deadline is August 2029, giving the authority time to complete procurement if funded.

Next steps: proceed with the roof assessment at no cost, verify lease/authority with corporation counsel and city staff, and prepare a grant application for the cited $300,000 opportunity.