By Sam Gilkey
For the News-Gazette

Two rooftop photovoltaic (PV) systems will provide renewable solar energy cost-savings to the city of St. Cloud.

A Green Day Celebration and ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the completion of the project will be held Wednesday, Aug. 1, at city hall.

The PV systems were installed on the rooftops of city hall and at the joint use facility on Communications Road by AAA Solar Source of Largo.

“It took about 90 days to do the work,” said Rick Gilbert, vice-president of the company. “There are 377 panels on the two roofs with a total rated output of 90 kilowatts.”

The system also includes a solar education center on the first level of building A at city hall. This center features monitoring of the power output and energy savings, carbon dioxide prevention and other impacts of solar energy production.

The rooftop system generates electricity using the solar radiation produced by sunlight.

“That collection is about 5 1/2 hours of sunlight on an average day,” Gilbert said. “The system is maintenance free and the panels are warranted for 25 years. Everything was manufactured in the U.S.”

Gilbert estimates the city of St. Cloud will realize a savings of $20,000 a year because the system is grid-connected and eligible for a 5-cent credit from Orlando Utilities Commission for each kilowatt hour that is produced. The customer can roll over the extra kilowatt hours that aren’t used onto the next month’s bill.

That feature was important to Larry Corini, of St. Cloud, when he decided to install a PV system at his home in the Sweetwater development off Canoe Creek Road last year. Corini had previously put in a thermal system to heat water for the house and pool.

“After rebates I got from OUC and the U.S. government my total investment is about $24,000,” he said. “I am saving an average of about $300 a month on my electric bill and will recoup my investment in eight years.”

But Corini cautions homeowners who may be interested in solar power to read everything they can about the systems and get prices from several installers.

“I am very happy with my system,” he said. “I think I got a very good deal. The panels are guaranteed for 25 years and are rated to withstand winds up to 140 mph.”

OUC has more than 29,000 customers in the St. Cloud area. While 78 customers have thermal systems and 25 others have installed the PV systems, there are only 13 customers like Corini who have both in their homes.

The installation project at the St. Cloud city buildings cost $435,000 and was funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Energy and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Office of Energy.

“When we install a system like this,” Gilbert said, “we send our mobile training trailer to the site. It’s equipped with a working solar system so people can see it on the ground. An instructor will run sessions in the morning and afternoon. (It is) open free to the public so they can learn about solar electricity, solar hot water and pool systems.”

Those sessions will take place at city hall Wednesday starting at 8:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. The ribbon-cutting ceremony will be at 11:30 a.m.

Gilbert pointed out the price of solar panels continues to drop.

“There has been so much solar installed in the past two to three years we have seen prices come down about half. And there are utility rebate programs and other incentive programs out there. People can receive a 30 percent federal tax credit.”

Each year the panels are becoming more efficient.

“The modules installed in St. Cloud–those panels purchased in 2010 were 175 watts,” Gilbert said. “Today they range between 240-260 watts. The same size panel continues to produce more and more electricity in the same space.”