Letters to the Editor
Letters to the Editor
From time to time Correctional News publishes readers’ comments regarding specific published articles.
Rick Freeman, director of project development at HMN Architects, shared his thoughts via e-mail about the Correctional News article titled “Solar Flare.”
Appearing in the July/August 2009 issue, the article examined the installation of a 1.18-megawatt solar power array at Ironwood State Prison, Calif.:
The article states, “The $6.2 million ground-mounted photovoltaic system…will save an estimated $50,000 per year in utility costs.” I’m not sure if project development costs are in that number or not.
If these numbers are right, (and I have no reason to doubt them) the ‘payback’ on the system is approximately 124 years out.
Should there be a discussion about first costs over life cycle costs in this installation? Or is the ‘carbon footprint’ reduction the desired sum of the endgame?
If so, then it would seem that the newly coined adage, “ … green is the prerogative of the affluent …” seems to be holding.
Rick Freeman
Editorial Response:
Rick,
The focus of the article concerned how the energy services agreement allowed the CDCR to avoid capital expenditure on the installation, while realizing annual savings in energy costs and benefiting sustainability through decreased carbon emissions.
It is my understanding that the project development costs for the solar installation did indeed total $6.2 million. However, the precise nature of that capital outlay and its economic viability for Sun Edison were outside the scope of the article.
You do raise a good question though, and one that actually has implications for the energy purchaser — in addition to the obvious considerations regarding the energy services company.
As for the motivations of the primary actors, while [California] lawmakers have mandated state agencies to pursue carbon footprint reductions, the imperatives of the bottom line generally represent a key component, if not the dominant one, in such equations.
Regards,
Robin D. Hoey, Editor
Send your comments and questions on the above issue, or any Correctional News
article, to cn@emlenpub.com.