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DeKalb committee backs 25-year solar power deal to place panels on county roofs
Summary
The operations committee recommended a 25-year power purchase agreement with Cherry Street Asset Management Holdings to install, own and operate rooftop and parking-canopy solar (initial project: Sam Street sites), with no upfront county capital and projected energy savings exceeding $1 million over the contract term.
The DeKalb County operations committee on Tuesday approved a recommendation to award a 25-year power purchase agreement (PPA) to Cherry Street Asset Management Holdings to install solar photovoltaic systems on county facilities, beginning with rooftop and parking‑canopy installations at 178 and 180 Sam Street.
Staff said Cherry Street will finance, install, own and maintain the systems; the county will buy the electricity under the PPA at a rate staff said is lower than current rates from Georgia Power. "We're going to put some solar panels on the roofs of our buildings," a county presenter said during the briefing, explaining the vendor-owned model requires no upfront capital from the county.
The initial system was presented as a 665‑kilowatt fleet expected to generate roughly 960,900 kilowatt‑hours annually, offsetting about 54% of the targeted facilities' energy use. Presenters said the contract's initial energy price is $0.0926 per kilowatt‑hour with a 2% annual escalation and includes a five‑year lockout period with penalties for early termination during the vendor's cost‑recovery phase. The vendor has agreed to deinstall and reinstall panels at its expense if roofs need replacement.
Commissioners asked whether the county would still require Georgia Power service (staff said the county would remain tied to the grid and use a mix of providers), whether technology upgrades would be included (staff said they would follow up), and whether existing SPLOST 2 funds could be used to accelerate installations by buying equipment outright. Commissioners also discussed siting canopy systems over park parking to provide shade, potential revenue for street lighting, and workforce development goals tied to Cherry Street’s local training programs.
Staff described a 14‑week installation schedule that would start after Board approval, with an eye toward meeting federal tax‑credit eligibility for installations completed by the end of 2027. The committee voted to approve the award recommendation; staff said the PPA can be amended to add additional county buildings as the county scales the program and onboards a chief sustainability officer and an energy manager.
