Solar at Metro Water Services
Overview
Water and wastewater utilities are typically a city’s largest energy users, accounting for 30-40% of total energy use. The heavy demand and resulting expense make water utilities ideal candidates for solar installations. Building on the success of an organization-wide Energy Management Program, Nashville’s water department decided to explore solar opportunities to save money, reduce carbon emissions and increase resiliency. The solar industry is in a sweet spot right now, with the price of solar panels falling nearly 80% in the last decade. Solar is the lowest cost form of new energy.
Results
Wilmot worked with MWS to evaluate over 230 properties for potential solar installations. The resulting plan includes 20 MW of installations, allowing for the beneficial reuse of land that would otherwise remain vacant. Wilmot also created a financial model to evaluate design alternatives and provide MWS with a vendor bid package. The innovative third-party ownership and behind-the-meter model is expected to save MWS $6M.
The initial program was so successful that the city decided to expand the program to 80 MW across all city buildings.
Client
Metro Nashville
Location
Nashville, TN
Markets
Municipal
Services
Feasibility Study
Solar Development + Planning
Project Management