The San Antonio Public Library (SAPL) Board of Trustees has approved plans for solar installations at two library branches, as part of a broader initiative to retrofit municipal buildings throughout the city. This decision was made during a meeting on Wednesday afternoon, where trustees also greenlit similar projects for seven additional branches.
San Antonio is actively working on installing solar panel infrastructure across 42 city facilities. In November 2023, the City Council approved a $30 million project to support this initiative, which aims for carbon neutrality in municipal buildings by 2040. This project combines local and state funding for clean energy incentives.
Nearly a year after the council’s approval, six projects were officially commissioned. As of mid-February, 14 of the planned 42 projects have been initiated, including installations on rooftops and parking canopies.
The Office of Sustainability in San Antonio has collaborated with SAPL to address the technical requirements of each project. “Installing onsite solar at library locations and other municipal facilities reduces our carbon footprint, enhances library spaces, and provides significant benefits for library patrons and the entire San Antonio community,” said interim library director Kathy Donellan.
The Las Palmas and Brook Hollow branches are the two locations set to begin their solar installations soon. Ashley Williams, an energy manager from the Office of Sustainability, outlined the expected benefits of these projects during the meeting:
- The city anticipates saving $1.8 million annually in energy costs.
- The solar panels are expected to offset approximately 11% of the city’s total electricity usage.
- They will help reduce building-related emissions by 18%.
Initially, Las Palmas was proposed to include both a parking canopy and a rooftop installation. However, trustees decided to proceed only with the roof installation to avoid obstructing future public art and potential building expansions. The redesign will feature a 207-kilowatt installation that is expected to provide about 81% of the branch’s energy needs.
Brook Hollow will receive a parking canopy over a new lot, with a 122-kilowatt structure expected to offset approximately 76% of the building’s energy consumption.
During the meeting, one trustee inquired about the energy production limits of the Brook Hollow project. Williams explained that they aim to ensure the energy produced does not exceed 80% of what the building requires, which also considers the necessary connection points for the solar panels.
The designs for both the Las Palmas and Brook Hollow branches were approved by SAPL’s facilities committee on February 12. The trustees unanimously supported the on-site designs for the two libraries.
Additionally, seven other library sites that were initially deemed unsuitable for solar installations caught the attention of the Office of Sustainability. The office proposed these additional sites to the trustees, who showed interest in expanding the project. The proposed locations include:
- Bazan Branch Library: 122.6 kilowatts
- Encino Branch Library: 143 kilowatts
- McCreless Branch Library: 122 kilowatts
- Maverick Branch Library: 157.85 kilowatts
- Memorial Branch Library: 85.8 kilowatts
- Mission Branch Library: 191 kilowatts
- Schaefer Branch Library: 151 kilowatts
Following a presentation and discussion, the board approved the proposal to advance these projects, with detailed designs to be presented at a future meeting.
“The San Antonio Public Library is fully committed to the Municipal Onsite Solar program as we continue to identify additional opportunities for these improvements at library locations throughout San Antonio,” Donellan stated.
Original article by NenPower, If reposted, please credit the source: https://nenpower.com/blog/san-antonio-public-library-moves-forward-with-solar-installations-at-two-branches/
