Jessica Grondin, Portland’s Director of Communications
By Carol McCracken (Post # 2,325)
The City of Portland has released a public bid offering to assist in its efforts to reduce its carbon footprint from its day-to-day-operations. This is part of the City’s effort to reduce its carbon footprint. It has selected five separate roof tops on facilities for projects that will generate electricity through solar power. The City is hopeful that any proposals that are presented will be as close to cost-neutral as possible. The City also anticipates buying the generated power from the provider at or around market price according to a press release from the City’s spokesperson, Jessica Grondin.
The City believes the following facilities’ roofs are potential sites for solar PV systems:
o Portland International Jetport – Jetport Access Road,
o :Library Storage Facility – 1000 Riverside Street,
o Portland Arts and Technology High School – 196 Allen Avenue,
o King Middle School – 92 Deering Avenue, and
o Bramhall Fire Station – 784 Congress Street.
Since 2010, Portland has reduced its costs from energy by 30% and its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 16%. Power use has only decreased by 400,000 kilowatt-hours annually since 2010 (with the exception of the Jetport expansion) as a result of efficiency through more efficient lighting, sensors, equipment and education. For City operations to mitigate its climate impacts further, renewable power will be needed to substitute grid sourced power and less GHG intensive fuels will be needed to replace conventional fossil fuels.
Portland already has a number of functional small-scale solar installations for educational purposes on School buildings, including Lincoln MIddle School, Portland Arts and Technology High School, East End Community School and King Middle School.
Copies of the RFP can be picked up in the Purchasing Office, Room 103, City Hall, 389 Congress Street, Port and, ME 04101. Proposals will be accepted until 3:00 pm on Thursday, August 6, 2015.