Page 6 - March-April25 Vol42 No7

CITY OF CHATTANOOGA By Lisa Hood Skinner, CTA
Solar Electrification: Humming Along

Powering Communities

The capabilities of an innovative City of Chattanooga Constituent Services reduce operational costs (25%)
rooftop solar energy program has Manager Kimberly Strong, and Bonnie • Contributions to the city’s carbon-
Chattanooga’s downtown humming to a Mumpower Dodson, CMFO, Accounts neutral goal stated in the Climate
different resilient tune. Coordinator for the City of Chattanooga’s Action Plan
Literally. Public Works Department/Engineering • And maximized energy savings
Since last October, a low, almost Division. potential of the new TPO reflective
imperceptible hum has emanated DRC Solar Project “Went Live” in Fall 2024 roof by specifying bifacial panels in the
from 368 solar panels atop the City of In fall 2024, the DRC solar rooftop design bid.
Chattanooga’s Development Resource array came online as the city’s most recent It also allows the city to realize 30%
Center (DRC), right in the heart of solar project. As part of a larger suite Elective Pay (Investment Tax Credits) on
downtown Chattanooga. of overall strategic solar investments, both the solar array and the new roof.
The DRC, located at 1250 Market Earlier this year, Artur Sandryka, civil
Street, houses both City of Chattanooga the DRC rooftop solar is touted to add engineer with the City of Chattanooga
resilience for continuity of operations for
and Hamilton County departments and the city-county facility during regular Public Works Engineering Department,
agencies, including the City’s Department business hours (Public Works, Planning, said the solar panels “have produced
of Public Works, the Chattanooga- etc.). roughly 53 MWH of power since
Hamilton County Regional Planning During that fall TCAPWA conference they started operating at the end of
Agency and the Hamilton County Water tour, Erik Schmidt, (then) Director, September (2024). We estimate that they
and Wastewater Treatment Authority. Office of Sustainability for Chattanooga’s will produce 223,000 MWH a year, so
During last fall’s TCAPWA conference, as the weather warms up and the days
a group of 18 conference attendees planning department, discussed both the get longer, the power they produce will
monetary savings which was “an average
gathered at the DRC for an information- of 8.5%, (while) the actual energy use increase as well.”
packed presentation about Chattanooga’s reduction is holding at an impressive “Our best month was October. It was
overall solar electrification sites. The 12.5%. It’s awesome to see these still pretty warm back then, and you can
group then ventured upstairs to see the assets saving us money and providing see those results on the 12-months graph
city’s newest-launched solar panel site on critical operational resilience (and (page 7),” Sandryka said.
the roof. reducing carbon) at the same time.” But the humming array atop the
The nearly two-hour behind-the-scenes downtown Market Street building is just
Other benefits include:
tour of this innovative technology was • “Behind the meter” energy savings that one part of Chattanooga’s solar projects
arranged by TCAPWA President and spread across the area.

6 TPW March/April 2025