The City of Sequim will begin the installation of solar panels on the roof of the Sequim Civic Center on Monday, March 16. The project will utilize approximately 140 solar panels that will be placed on the flat portion of the Civic Center roof on the south side of the building. The project is projected to be complete on May 18.
On a sunny day it is expected that the panels will produce 143 kWh, equal to approximately 9.4% of what the building uses. The solar array will be tied to the utility grid, so if the building uses less than what is generated, the extra renewable energy will flow into the grid. It is expected that the City will save approximately $3,700 on the annual power bill for the Civic Center and the building’s carbon footprint will be reduced by 21.7 tons per year.
Vehicle, Parking and Pedestrian Impacts
The panels will be delivered on Tuesday, March 17. Drivers can expect some interruption on Cedar Street between Sequim and Second Avenues for several hours that day, as traffic may be limited to one lane. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) parking and a portion of the sidewalk on the south side of the Civic Center will be blocked to cars and pedestrians. ADA parking will be moved to the south side of Cedar Street.
The City received a $75,000 grant from the Washington State Department of Commerce for the project. The City will fund the remaining $150,000 from the General Fund.