Manteca may pursue floating solar photovoltaic panels and a battery storage system at the municipal wastewater treatment plant.
The City Council has scheduled a public hearing on Tuesday, Sept. 15, to decide whether to move forward with the project.
Willdan Energy Solutions has conducted a no-cost technical feasibility study that is setting the stage for the public hearing.
Wildan is proposing a 1.7 mega-watt floating solar photovoltaic and battery system with an estimated $3.2 million in rebates.
The cost of the project would be funded from future cost savings from electricity generated.
What such solar projects typically do is stabilize electricity costs up to the load of electricity they generate.
As such it would help the city avoid future PG&E power rate increases for a large chunk of their power needs at the treatment plant.
The last time the city explored solar at the treatment plant in 2018, the annual PG&E bill for the facility was in excess of $1.4 million. There has been close to almost a dozen rate increases since then as well as additional demand for electricity created by housing growth.
Electricity is the biggest single operating cost for the sewer treatment plant.
The city was approached by Wildan as well as Energy Systems Group earlier this year.
Energy System’s proposal involved a 1.8 mega-watt ground mounted solar photovoltaic system with an estimated $1.89 million in rebates.
That system would generate more electricity but would not include battery storage.
An advantage the Wildan proposal brings to the table is not using land for the placement of solar panels.
That would allow the city to have more flexible use for land connected with the treatment plant.
Eventually, the city wants to relocate its public works division and corporation yard into one location at the treatment plant.
The city has also toyed with the idea of other uses for some of the treatment plant land including as a possible organic waste processing site.
To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com
