Sierra College on solar power quest for Rocklin, Grass Valley campuses
Sierra College is planning a major move into solar power at its Rocklin and Grass Valley campuses. With plans for ground-mounted solar cells in parking lots and others on buildings, a report from the college estimates savings of from $75,000 to $125,000 a year on what is now a $1.5 million electricity bill. The college has put out a request for proposals to construct solar arrays at the two campuses at no cost to Sierra. The contract would also include a power-purchase agreement that could save the college money on electricity. Bob Parkins is a Sacramento consultant hired by the college to look at the feasibility of solar and develop a request for proposals that includes a power-purchase agreement. Under the power purchase agreement, the college would be paying less for energy than it now pays off the Pacific Gas & Electric grid. “I’m expecting Sierra College will end up saving money for the energy and be able to use that for its general budget and other purposes,” Parkins said. Reflecting the amount of interest among solar companies, Parkins said 50 people attended the pre-bid solicitation meeting. “We expect a minimum of six to eight proposals,” Parkins said. Laura Doty, college director of facilities and construction, said that since she has worked for the district over the past two years, people have come in all the time with solar proposals. “A handful have been saying ‘Why haven’t we done it,’ “ Doty said. “It’s always been a question of having the money to do it?” Trustee Aaron Klein, a member of the college board’s facilities and planning subcommittee, said that with federal tax credits for businesses, the financial details have been looking better for the college. Klein said that he and fellow subcommittee member Nancy Palmer returned from a community-college trustees conference enthusiastic about the possibilities of solar after seeing what several other districts were doing. After a presentation by Kirk Uhler, a former Solar Power Inc. employee, and Jim Conkey, a former construction partner with Solar Power, it was decided to hire an independent consultant to develop a request for proposals, Klein said. Proposals are due Wednesday. Palmer and Bill Martin, the other member of the subcommittee, have volunteered to do interviews on March 18th before a recommendation is made to the board on bids. “My goal for the project is no upfront capital investments by the college and no higher costs for energy down the road,” Klein said. “We just need to get the best deal that protects the college.”
Keywords
sierra college, solar, bob parkins, kirk uhler, nancy palmer, jim conkey, bill martin, laura doty
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Are they paying for the solar panels with the money they saved by cutting all those classes from the schedule?
Good question! Maybe someone will be able to shed some light on this issue!
I think that the solar company pays and then recoups its investment from the energy generated and sold. Seems like a good idea..
Jayber is correct. No upfront capital investment by the college. We would save money to protect classes and teachers in year one.
Aaron Klein
530-830-2040
www.AaronKlein.com
There has to be a catch. there always is especially with some of these people envolved in this report. How can anything to do with any government deal be so simple. No up FRONT cost?? what about the UNDER cover costs? over the TOP costs? Or
Through the SIDE DOOR costs????
What????
Uhler can't get the contract on a non-compete, end-around –run, and have to resort to an ACTUAL OPEN public bidding process? That means some other company CAN really compete? And, unlike Placer County which purchased the panels and then has to pay (based on PG&E rate schedules)for the power they produce, Sierra College would only have to pay for the power production, not the panels too?
What happened? Did that earthquake in Chile rattle something here?
It is Sierra College, and Klein is on Uhler’s “Facebook” site, but come-on, this is Placer County.
What’s the “bad-old-boy” network coming too? Rocky, do something quick!
The apologist Klein and friends (Uhler & Co.) have found a money source to make someone some money. Future tax breaks that's just not realistic. A fair deal would be to give the college all the electricity they need in exchange for using their ground. A fair share of the profits made by the "Solar Company" should also be required for the life of the system.
“My goal for the project is no upfront capital investments by the college and no higher costs for energy down the road,” Klein said. “We just need to get the best deal that protects the college.” lol You mean protects your friends.
Uhler and Conkley and especially Aaron should recuse themselves and their company. But they wont. Why should they? Nothing for them to fear. This good-ole-boy network is out for itself. As OB says "Follow the Money"
ChuxxR: It will be interesting to see if this solar system is left off the tax roll like the iterim Assessor Spears had accomodated those that appointed her to the job.
BTW: Did you know Conkey is/was a stockholder in Solar Power Inc? It is printed right on their SEC filings.
Conkey? Uhler? The stinkometer alarm is clanging loudly! "If something sounds too good to be true......IT IS ! !
This isn't difficult to understand. Private investors come in and fund the construction of solar arrays. Sierra College buys 20% of Rocklin's power and 90% of NCC's power from the solar system at a lower cost, with increases capped well below our current annual increases from PG&E. The private investor makes a profit and Sierra College saves $75,000 to $125,000 with very little risk. (By the way, Sierra College property isn't on any property tax rolls.)
I suppose we could conceivably save more if we wanted to invest all of the upfront costs and build our own solar array, and then hire staff to manage it. But our staff sees that as a huge risk, and I have to agree with their question: with what money? We have to focus the resources we have on education, and on developing facilities to deal with our population growth for the next 25-30 years. So this is a great way for Sierra College to save money while being a good steward of our planet.
We had over 50 people show up at our pre-submittal meeting, representing 35 companies. Best of luck to all of them, including the firm that Uhler and Conkey used to be associated with (assuming they even place a bid). I was appointed by Board President Barbara Vineyard to the Facilities Planning Committee, so I would have had a seat on the selection committee for this project, but it's an extra five hours of time that I don't have, and I'm fully comfortable with whatever bidder our staff selects.
Aaron Klein …
Klein:
You, sir, are a work of art.
Sierra College is not on the property tax roll just like you said. DUH!
I am writing this slowly for you: if Sierra College contracts with a private firm to install solar panels on Sierra College ground and the sells the electricity to Sierra College, that same private company is subject (except in “special cases” here in Placer County, depending on who you know) by state law to be taxed by the county Assessor as a possessory interest and a tax bill is issued.
Now, what part of this statement do you not understand?
Hi Rabidog,
Well of course. But that's not Sierra College's responsibility - that would be owed by whatever company we contract with. People above seemed to be saying that Sierra College property was being kept off of tax rolls, and I just wanted to make that clear - as a school district, we don't owe property taxes.
Aaron Klein
530-830-2040
www.AaronKlein.com
Klein:
Good, you got it.
Now, the major concern in this matter is that Supervisor Uhler’s former employer, and a company in which Supervisor Weygandt’s family owns common stock, was selected through non-competitive bidding (i.e., no other company can bid) to sell to Placer County, solar panels to be installed on Placer County land at DeWitt: and that same company then billed Placer County for the electrical power from the panels Placer County owns.
Will this scenario happen at Sierra College?
Hi Rabidog,
I don't know anything about this Placer County deal - I haven't really followed the detail of the news coverage. What I think you're saying is that the company did all of what you described, and then didn't have to pay property taxes on the deal. I suppose it's the county collecting the taxes, so if they wanted to waive them to get better terms, that's their right. I don't see how SIerra College could do that. Haven't heard anything about us trying, but I'm not a lawyer and I don't play one on TV.
The bigger issue is the lack of competitive bid. All I can say is...it certainly helps to stop questions from being raised if a competitive bidding process is being used, and that's why we chose to use one for this process. I have no problem if the company that Kirk Uhler used to be associated wins the bid if they are the most competitive bidder.
Hope that helps.
Aaron
Thanks for the illumination. Looks like this will be a win-win for everyone in the long run.
Thank you Aaron
What? You guys actually believe a word coming from Klein's mouth? I'll tell you right now that the winning bidder will be "Solar Power Inc.".
"I don't know anything about this Placer County deal - I haven't really followed the detail of the news coverage." Where's my boots?
"but I'm not a lawyer and I don't play one on TV." I'll bet a lawyer wrote that for you. Klein's a stooge and I'll bet that's how he is getting back into the good graces of the local RNC. I mean by selling out the school.
Aaron Klein has never found a school he deemed fit for his presence, NEVER!
There are 40 people that have gone through 1 and 1/2 semesters of solar classes put on by Sierra college right now. It would make a whole lot more sense to have a third semester of classes where the students along with a company (Professor of Sierra Colleges Solar classes owns his own large solar company) would begin hands on training of installation of arrays for the college around campus.
hey Yak Yak I absolutely agree! Project Based learning (especially in this economy) is the best bet. I have been lobbying Sierra College for the past 1.5 years about this.
hey Yak Yak I absolutely agree! Project Based learning (especially in this economy) is the best bet. I have been lobbying Sierra College for the past 1.5 years about this.