Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
The Palouse solar farm is taking shape, under construction since August, for a project that will power the city’s well No. 3.
After groundbreaking, the site work has been completed and underground wiring installed. What remains to be done is installation of steel framing, the solar panels and invertors which convert solar energy to electricity.
“It’s going according to schedule and should be up and going by the middle of November,” said Mike Fuentes, energy division manager at Apollo Solutions of Spokane, contractor on the project.
Fall weather has caused delays, with wind a particular issue in placing the panels.
“Those things can act like sails,” Fuentes said.
The half-acre solar farm will consist of 2.5x5-foot non-tracking panels. It is expected to save Palouse $8,000 per year in electricity costs. Working with Apollo is subcontractor Pennell Renewables, also of Spokane.
Originally contacted by Fuentes last December for a free energy audit, the city entered into an agreement with Apollo, and its fees were built into the project cost.
Palouse City Council in June authorized Mayor Michael Echanove to apply for financing of up to $140,000. Later, a $130,000 state Local Option Capital Asset Lending program loan was paired with a $277,000 grant secured by Apollo Solutions from the Washington Department of Enterprise Services.
The total estimated cost is $400,000. Loan payments will be made from the expected savings in energy costs with the solar panels.
The 70-kilowatt panels, facing south and west, will power Palouse water well No. 3.
The solar site is on the south side of Palouse, just past the railroad tracks.
The well and pump in question were installed in the early 2000s after the flood of 1996 threatened the city’s downtown well No. 1.
The Palouse City Council in January approved an expenditure of $12,000 to hire Apollo to do an investment grade audit of their original work – which stemmed from a cold call last November.
“There’s no cost to the city in the long run to be putting in the solar farm,” said Echanove. “Either we’re writing a check to Avista or paying the loan.”
Garth Meyer is a former Whitman County Gazette reporter.
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