Project Description

As part of the Community Investment Projects, the City has installed five photovoltaic systems at various City facilities. This will increase solar power in the City by 620 KW - bringing the City's renewable energy portfolio to 4 percent of the City's total energy use. For three of these installations - the Munson Center, Sage Cafe, and East Mesa Public Safety Complex - the PV system will make the building net-zero. This means that he buildings energy consumption is equal to the amount of renewable energy created on site. The Las Cruces Regional Aquatic Center will also receive a sizable boost by having a potential 40 percent of its energy met by renewables. The small addition to the Las Cruces Convention Center installation will add 25 percent to its renewable energy supply and garner over $9,000 annually from its already established $0.155 Renewable Energy Credits until 2023. The four new solar installations will also house small weather stations. The stations will provide reliable performance evaluation for the systems including irradiance, cell temperature, ambient temperature, and wind speed. This will help the City understand the impact of climate change on renewable energy an the heat island effect. The elevated ground mount installations will also provide needed shade for visitor parking and help mitigate temperature increases that can occur in the urban environment.