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In business going green las vegas adds 15,000 solar panels to renewable portfolio By Conor Shine staff writer With the flip of a switch, Las Vegas city officials celebrated the powering up of 15,000 solar panels that will provide energy to a nearby wastewater treatment plant. The ground-mounted panels are packed tightly on 25 acres of city-owned land near Vegas Valley Drive and Nellis Boulevard. The site had previously been a vacant strip of land the city used as a buffer for the plant, which processes the city's wastewater on its way to Lake Mead. During the dedication ceremony April 18, Mayor Carolyn Goodman touted the project as part of a comprehensive sustainability plan, which includes renewable energy, energy efficiency, recycling and waste management. "It's all about sustainability for the city and our citizens to make sure that we're using every resource that we can to keep down the costs of energy," she said. "The council wants the financial resources we have available to go as far they can." 16 20130513_VI16_F.indd 16 sam morris flip the switch: Tom Perrigo, chief sustainability officer for the city of Las Vegas, powers on the new three-megawatt solar panel installation April 18. The $20 million project will generate 6 million kilowatt hours of electricity annually, enough to provide about 20 percent of the treatment plant's power. Because the plant accounts for a third of the city's annual energy bill, the solar panels will provide a big savings, said Tom Perrigo, the city's chief sustainability officer. "Our energy spend breaks down to about a third for wastewater treatment, a third for street lights and a third for city buildings," he said. "By providing solar here at this facility, we're able to make a big impact on the city's overall energy consumption." The three-megawatt solar panel installation is the largest in a growing portfolio of renewable energy projects owned by the city. Solar panels installed at 29 other cityowned buildings generate a combined two megawatts of power, bringing the city's total capacity to five megawatts and hitting a benchmark set in 2008. Perrigo said the solar panels and other energy efficiency programs, such as installing LED light bulbs, have helped cut the annual energy bill from $15 million to $10 million in three years. The treatment plant project was funded using money from the city's sanitary enterprise fund. Using rebates and grants, Perrigo said, the city can drive down the costs of installing solar panels. The renewable energy projects will pay for themselves in about 25 years, but they are expected to be in use for upwards of 40 years, he said. | 1 3 M AY 2 0 1 3 | 5/9/13 2:29:00 PM