Utilities can share experiences with design and installation in a technical working group with other utilities and solar installers, and can ensure that systems are monitored and maintained. In addition to turning a profit, utilities can benefit by receiving credit toward energy efficiency or renewable portfolio goals, and by gaining customer loyalty. The City is concerned that these systems, installed in the early 1980s, may not be performing as designed due to a number of factors associated with system aging. We will be able to ascertain the actual energy delivered by the system, and perform a number of interesting comparisons and analyses. The system designs are similar, but different water sources may be causing different levels of mineral scaling in the heat exchangers.
Initial findings suggest a number of maintenance and infrastructure problems with the solar utility.
This information feeds into the policy paper described above to illustrate lessons learned from municipal solar utilities.