City of Richmond Solar PV Feasibility Study

Photo Credit: 2RW Consultants, Courtesy Susan Kalergis

City of Richmond Solar PV Feasibility Study

Richmond, VA

Owner

City of Richmond, VA

Timeframe

2020

Size

N/A

Electrical engineering services for this PV feasibility study included assessment of building electrical systems, site conditions, and infrastructure to support potential solar installations. 2RW provided energy modeling, utility rate analysis, structural coordination, and a detailed report summarizing energy production, required system modifications, and 25-year financial projections comparing upfront purchase, power purchase agreement, and baseline scenarios to evaluate cost-effectiveness.

Project Goals

2RW was contracted by the City of Richmond to provide a solar photovoltaic (PV) feasibility assessment for a subset of government-owned buildings. The goal was to determine whether specific City-owned buildings could accommodate PV installations and whether solar PV could save the City money over a 25-year period.

Services

This study compared estimated utility costs over 25 years in three different scenarios:

If the City purchased the PV panels directly and managed the ongoing maintenance itself (upfront purchase).
If the City engaged in a power purchase agreement (PPA) with a third-party provider that would procure, install, and maintain the equipment and sell the energy generated by the PV system to the City.
If the City did not install solar (the “baseline” scenario).

2RW’s services included:

Analysis of building age and roof and/or site area
Modeling of annual array production estimates to predict peak demand and annual utility cost savings
A utility rate study comparing cost savings under Dominion Energy’s available rate schedules
Assessment of each building’s electrical systems to identify required power system modifications
Management of a structural engineering sub-consultant that conducted site assessments
Development of a detailed report summarizing the energy and financial savings potential for each site
Financial analysis of twenty-five-year costs were projected for the three scenarios above to determine if a PV installation would be cost-effective.

Results

The study concluded that installing solar on one specific building under any financing scenario could save the City money over a 25-year period. Upfront purchase could save the City more than $380,000 and engaging in a PPA would have lower cost savings but would have the added benefit of being less resource-intensive for the City to manage.

Partners

Springpoint Structural LLC

Shift Sustainability Consulting

Awards

Team