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Trustees press for stronger solar and sustainability direction; staff say building will be "solar ready"
Summary
Trustees pressed staff to pursue solar where feasible and requested cost analyses for installation options; staff said the design baseline will make the building "solar ready," with options for bid alternates or third-party ownership to be evaluated during schematic design.
Sustainability and the possibility of installing solar panels were a recurring topic during the project-plan discussion. Trustee Getty asked why the document describes the roof as "solar ready" rather than committing to solar. Getty said, "why would we not be putting solar?" and urged the trustees and committee to strive for implementation if analysis shows it is feasible and cost-effective.
Staff and the OPM said the baseline design will make the building structurally and electrically ready for solar, and that the design team will perform a life-cycle analysis during schematic design to evaluate whether installing solar panels is economically justified. Joe Sullivan said one common approach is to include infrastructure for solar in the base contract and offer solar installation as a bid alternate so the committee can compare costs; staff also discussed possibilities for third-party ownership or bundling city roofs to improve economics. Trustees asked staff to return with a clear analysis of ownership, lease versus purchase options, and expected operating costs.
