Solar Power Cells, Hot Water, Energy, Collectors

Council to firm: Scale down plan

01.01.70

AUGUSTA -- The city has told a company that proposes to use the sun and wood to help heat and power some city and school buildings to come back with a watered-down project.

City councilors voted Thursday to table the proposal until they do.

The Revolution Energy proposal called for solar photovoltaic panels at Augusta City Center and Buker Community Center to provide electricity, solar hot air wall panels at Cony High School and Buker Community Center to provide heat, a wood chip boiler system at Cony High School for heat and a wood pellet boiler at Buker Community Center for heat.

However, city officials have asked Revolution to come back with a scaled-down proposal for the wood pellet boiler at Buker Community Center. The company proposed a 500 kilowatt low steam pellet boiler system capable of heating the entire building, and eliminating two conventional boilers at Buker now.

Ralph St. Pierre, assistant city manager and finance director, recommends the city, instead, have a smaller wood pellet boiler system installed, and keep one conventional boiler in place.

Source: Kennebec Journal