Pasco County Commissioners heard presentations for two forms of solar panel construction at the October 6th meeting. The board directed the leadership of the Facilities and Utilities departments to return at a later meeting to provide answers to questions that were not available and gather information on funding mechanisms.
Pasco County is considering installing Floating Photovoltaic (FPV) solar panels installed on floating structures in the Boyette Reservoir and the Land O’ Lakes reservoir, both located in East Pasco.
Utilities Director Joseph Amoah listed the benefits of the pontoon-supported structures, including a possible 70 percent reduction in evaporation of the reservoirs, reducing algae growth, and leading to better water quality. The downside is a high initial cost and regular maintenance expenditures. It would require a long-term investment to realize a return on investment.
The Land O’ Lakes system would cost approximately $1 million, and the Boyette system an estimated $3.3 million. Cisco Pavez, Utilities Senior Program Manager, explained that funding by Investment Tax Credit (ITC) would lower the costs to $700,000 and $2.3 million, respectively, after a 30 percent investment credit called DirectPay.
Cisco Pavez, Utilities Senior Program Manager, explained that DirectPay “allows tax-exempt and governmental entities to receive a direct cash refund from the IRS for clean energy investments. Under section 48E, the technology-neutral Clean Electricity Investment Credit offers a baseline refund of 30 percent of eligible project costs.”
Pavez added that a grant application has been submitted to the FDEP Alternative Water Supply Grant program.
Both locations planned for the FPVs are near power plants and would be used to generate power for these facilities. Chairman Jack Mariano requested an agreement with the power facilities outlining how savings would be passed on to their customers.
Commissioners instructed Amoah to gather information on replacement costs if damaged and insurance coverage.
At the West Pasco Government Center, the proposal is to construct solar-canopy parking on the East lot, topped with solar panels. These bays could additionally be fitted with EV (electric vehicle) charging equipment.
Beginning with 52 spaces to assess the benefits, two additional canopies will provide a total of 196 covered spaces. The first 52 stations would range from $218,400 to $301,600 without future EV capability and $282,000 to $458,000 if included.
Yearly operating expenses range from $5,500 to $9,100 and $6,500 to $12,700 with EV charging. Interim Facilities Management Director Nikki Allen cautioned that the figures are conceptual until a feasibility study is completed. If successful, the solar canopies could save the County $28-49K annually and would take 10-17 years to realize payback. Allen will also return to the board with an engineering report and additional funding sources.
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