Cerritos Council votes to transfer photovoltaic system

Will go from Cuesta Villas to City’s Corporate Yard.

By Jerry Bernstein

The Cerritos City Council approved a proposal to reallocate federal grant funding for the installation of a photovoltaic system originally allotted to Cuesta Villas senior housing project to the City Corporate Yard.
Assistant Engineer Kanna Vancheswaran said on Nov. 12, 2008, former Governor Schwarzenegger signed Executive Order No. S1408, which raised California’s renewable energy goals from 20 percent to 33 percent by 2020. He said as a result, public utility providers such as Cerritos have a responsibility to work towards this goal by advancing renewable energy projects whenever possible.
In 2009 Congresswoman Linda Sanchez assisted Cerritos in garnering funding for the construction and installation of a proposed photovoltaic system to be incorporated into the Costa Villas Affordable Senior Housing Project. He said the proposed solar energy project would provide approximately 150,000 kilowatt hours of affordable renewable energy to the housing facility at a cost of $761,200.
The Department of Energy [DOE] would provide a 50 percent fund match in the amount of $380,600 to help offset the cost of the installation with the city expected to contribute the balance of $380,600. In addition the project must be implemented by April 1, 2012. Extensions of the latter are available for a maximum of two additional years.
Vancheswaran said due to delays implementing the housing project, staff sought potential options to utilize the grant within the time frame rather than risk losing the funding. The Corporate Yard was selected as a potential candidate. He said the Yard is the site of a recently completed Energy Block Grant project that installed 748 photovoltaic energy modules atop the Water Division’s six million gallon west reservoir and is capable of producing approximately 150,000 kilowatt hours annually, which is more than 50 percent of the total energy consumed at the Corporate Yard building. The cost of this initial
System was $520,000, which was entirely funded through a grant from the Department of Energy.
Staff estimates this second system will be capable of producing an additional 225,000 kilowatt-hours annually for a total annual production of approximately 375,000-kilowatt hours. Combined the two renewable projects with a value of $1.3 million of which $900,000 in federal grants, will provide all the energy needs of the 25,000 sq. ft. Corporate Yard main building as well as a significant proportion of the power needed to operate the city’s C-2 water well located in the Corporate Yard.
Because the project will be located at a Water facility and provide energy to directly serve the water utility, staff has proposed to utilize funds from the City’s Water Utility Fund for the necessary matching funds.
It was noted that design plans for the Cuesta Villas Senior Housing Project would continue to provide for the installation of a photovoltaic project to serve the residents of the project. The renewable energy project is intended to be funded by the Redevelopment Agency’s Low-and-Moderate Set Aside Fund.
Gridley Park
The Council approved a contract in the amount of $9,495 with Creative Contractors Corp. of Rancho Santa Margarita for the replacement of playground equipment at Gridley Park.
Vancheswaran said in order to minimize construction costs Public Works Maintenance staff will remove the existing playground equipment and clear the playground area in preparation for the installation of the new equipment.
The council also approved a proposed amendment to an existing agreement with the Artesia Cemetery District returning 100 ft. of land at the expiration of an initial five-year lease adjacent to the cemetery
In his report to the council, Vancheswaran said in addition to reducing the leased area, the city will maintain a fence separating Rosewood Park from the cemetery. Estimated cost of the fence relocation is $8,000.