10EastChurchStreetBethlehem,Pa.18018

eacbethlehempa@gmail.com

April 25, 2019

Honorable Members of City Council, AstheCityofBethlehemcontinuestogrow,wehaveanobligationtoincreaseoursustainability,utilizealternativeenergysourcesandreduceouroverallcarbonfootprint.Onewaytoachievethisiswiththedevelopmentofnewpoliciesandregulationsthatencouragetheusesolarenergy.ThisisconsistentwiththeCity’sgoalincreatingaClimateActionPlan.The Bethlehem Environmental Advisory Council submits the attached proposal for an ordinance that would requireneworretrofittedbuildingsoveracertainsizetoobtainaSolarEnergySystemAssessmentand,dependentupontheassessment,installsolarpanels. Should you have any questions or would like to discuss this recommendation further, please do not hesitate to contact us. Respectfully yours,

Lynn Rothman

Lynn Rothman, Chair

On behalf of the Bethlehem EAC: Elizabeth Behrend Elisabeth Cichonski Kathy Fox Brian Hillard Mike Topping Brian Nicas (membership on the EAC pending) cc: Mayor Donchez

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To:BethlehemCityCouncil

From:BethlehemEnvironmentalAdvisoryCouncil,SolarEnergyCommittee

Date:April25,2019

Subject:SolarEnergyOrdinanceProposal____________________________________________________________________________AstheCityofBethlehemcontinuestogrow,wehaveanobligationtoincreaseoursustainability,utilizealternativeenergysourcesandreduceouroverallcarbonfootprint.Onewaytoachievethisiswiththedevelopmentofnewpoliciesandregulationsthatsupportsolarenergy.ThisisconsistentwiththeCity’sgoalincreatingaClimateActionPlanandallowsustoleadthewayasanexampletoothercities.BenefitsofSolarEnergy:

• Solarenergywillreducegreenhousegasemissionsinthecityandregion.• Costsassociatedwiththeinstallationofsolarpanelshavedecreasedatleast

15percentoverthepastfouryears(seeAttachment1).• Therearefederaltaxincentivesforsolarpanelsupto30%throughtheend

of2019,decreasingto26%through2020and22%for2021.• PayofftimesacrosstheU.S.generallyrangefrom6-9years.• Therearemultiplefinancingoptions.NewlyenactedCommercialProperty

AssessedCleanEnergy(C-PACE)allowsbuildingownerstofinancecleanenergyandwaterconservationprojectsthroughtheirpropertytaxbill.Theinvestmentisthentiedtothebuildingevenwhenownershipchanges.

• AnownerofsolarpanelscanobtainSolarRenewableEnergyCredits(SRECs)fromPennsylvania,whicharecurrentlyincreasinginvalue.

• Pennsylvaniaallowsnetmetering,whichpermitsanyunusedproducedenergytobesoldbacktoautilitycompany.

• Astudyofresidentialsolarsystemsshowsthattheyincreasepropertyvalue,whichwouldlikelyapplytocommercialbuildings.

• Over242,000Americansworkinthesolarindustryandtheindustrygenerated$17billionin2017.

• Jobgrowthis#1intherenewableenergysector,thussupportinglocaljobgrowthinthealternativeenergyfieldsinthecity.

• Solarenergycanstillbeproducedthroughindirectsunlightoroncloudydays(10-25%).

• Thereisanenormousamountofpotentialrooftopsurfacearea,mainlyintheindustrialparkregion,butalsoinlargerresidentialdevelopments,collegecampuses,parkinggaragesandothercommercialbuildings.Therearealsomanyacresofrooftopsurfaceareaavailableonexistingstructuresthatmaybeabletoaccommodatesolarpanels.

• Systemsarelowmaintenance.• Asof2016,solarenergyandwindbecamethecheapestandmostabundant

sourceofenergyintheworld.

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(Note:Mostofthedatareferencedabovecanbefoundatseia.org.PropertyvaluestudyfromBerkeleyLab:NewSolarHomePremiums:CalculatingtheValueRooftopPVAddstoaMulti-StateSampleofNewU.S.Homes)

Therefore,theBethlehemEnvironmentalAdvisoryCouncil(EAC)recommendsthatBethlehemCitydevelopanordinancerequiringneworretrofittedbuildingsoveracertainsizetoobtainaSolarEnergySystemAssessmentand,dependentupontheassessment,installsolarpanels.OthercitieswithsolarrequirementsfornewconstructionincludeLancaster,SantaMonicaandSanFrancisco,CA,Watertown,MA,SouthMiami,FL,andAnnArbor,MI.Beginningin2020theStateofCaliforniawillhavesolarrequirementsforallnewconstruction,includinghomes.RecommendationsforanordinanceareoutlinedbelowandutilizeordinancesfromothercitiesintheUnitesStates,primarilythesolarordinancefromWatertown,MA(whichisattachedasanappendix).ProposedSolarOrdinance(Note:Withtheexceptionofminorchanges,theproposedordinancebelowissimilartotheexistingWatertown,MAordinance)

1.Definitions:a.SolarEnergySystem:Adeviceorstructuraldesignfeature,asubstantialpurposeofwhichistoprovideheatingorcooling,electricitygenerationorwaterheating.i.SolarEnergySystem,Active:Asolarenergysystemwhose

primarypurposeistoharvestenergybytransformingsolarenergyintoanotherformofenergyortransferringheatfromacollectororanothermediumusingmechanical,electrical,orchemicalmeans.

1.SolarEnergySystem,Ground-Mounted/Canopy:AnactiveSolarEnergySystemthatisstructurallymountedtothegroundandisnotroof-mounted.2.SolarEnergySystem,Roof-Mounted:AnactiveSolarEnergySystemthatisstructurallymountedtotheroofofabuildingorstructure.

b.Solar-readyzone:Thesolar-readyzoneareais50%oftheroofareathatiseitherflatororientedbetween110degreesand270degreesoftruenorth,exclusiveofmandatoryaccessorsetbackareasasrequiredbythePAandBethlehemCityfirecodes.

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2.Requirements:a.Newbuildingsgreaterthanorequaltotenthousand(10,000)grosssquarefeetorcontainingten(10)ormoreresidentialunitsshallincludeasolarenergysystemthatisequivalenttothedescriptioninTable1oftheroofareaofallbuildings.Incaseswhereasiteincludesanuncoveredparkingstructure,thestructureshallalsohaveasolarenergysysteminstalledtocoveraminimumof90%ofitstoplevel,whichstillallowsforparkingunderneath.(SeeAttachment2forpictures)

b.Existingbuildingsthatareatleasttenthousand(10,000)grosssquarefeetormore,thatareeithernewlydesignedorareretrofittedforanewtenant,mustcompleteasolarassessmentandcomplywiththesolarpanelordinance.

c.Thesquarefootageofthebuildingwilldeterminethepercentageoftherooftoptheshouldbecoveredbysolarpanels.SeeTable1belowforrecommendations:

Table1

ProposedSquareFootageRange(CommercialandIndustrial)

Minimum%ofroofareatobecovered

10,000-50,000 50%50,001-500,000 40%

>500,000 30%

3.SolarEnergySystemAssessments:a.Asolarassessmentshallbesubmittedandtheassessmentmustinclude,ataminimum:

i.Ananalysisforsolarenergysystem(s)forthesitedetailinglayoutandannualproduction.ii.Includethemaximumfeasiblesolarzoneareaofallstructuresandpotentialground-mountedcanopies.iii.AninitialsolarenergysystemassessmentshallbesubmittedwiththerequiredapplicationforSitePlanReview.iv.Afinalsolarinstallationplanmustbereviewedandapprovedbytheappropriateplanningandzoningdepartmentspriortotheissuanceofbuildingpermits.

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4.Exemptions:a.Aprojectwillnotberequiredtoinstallasolarenergysystemontheroofwhenthereisnosolarreadyzone,orthesolar-readyzoneisshadedformorethan50percentofdaylighthoursannually,orforbuildingconversionswithinsufficientstructuralloadcapacity.Awaiverwouldbedeterminedbyanindependentsolarassessmentofthesite.Furthermore,inthecaseofamixedorgroundmountedinstallation,therequirementmaybereducedorwaivediftheassessmentdeterminesthereisnotaviablelocationtomeetthesolarrequirement.

b.Nonprofitorganizationswouldnotberequiredtofollowtheordinanceunlessdoingsovoluntarily.c.IfhistoricalelementstothebuildingwillbeadverselyimpactedbasedonrecommendationofthecityHistoricalConservationCommission.

5.SafetyandLocationGuidelinesa.EmergencyAccess–Solarenergysystemsshallbelocatedinsuchamannerastoensureemergencyaccesstotheroof,providepathwaystospecificareasoftheroof,provideforsmokeventilationopportunities,andprovideemergencyegressfromtheroofasrequiredbyPAandcityfirecoderegulations.b.Safety–Noroof-mountedsolarenergysystemshallbelocatedinamannerthatwouldcausethesheddingoficeorsnowfromtheroofontoaporch,stairwellorpedestriantravelarea.6.EffectiveDate:

a.Alloftherequirementssetforthintheordinanceshalltakeeffectimmediatelyafterreviewbytheappropriatecityboardsandreview/approvalbyCityCouncil.

Recommendationsforcitywideincentivesinclude:

• Allowadevelopertobuildanadditionalstoryiftheyusesolarpanelsontherooforproviderooftopgreenspace.

• Substitutegreenspaceasanoptioninplaceofsolarpanelinstallation.• DensityBonuses:Grantdensitybonusesforapplicationsforsubdivisions,

suchthatthemaximumnumberoflotsallowedincreasesbyacertainamountprovidedthatactiveand/orpassivesolartechnologiesareutilizedbyeachbuilding.

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• VacantLotPreferences:WhenvacantparcelsoflandunderCityownershipareauctioned,theCitycanawardabidpreference(uptoacertainamount)whenawardingthebidinexchangeforacertainamountofsolarinstalledonthefully-builtoutparcel.

• ExpeditedApproval:Speedupthepermittingorzoningapprovalprocessfordevelopmentsorbuildingsthatmeetcertainactive,passive,solar-ready,ornetzeroenergyrequirements.

• Provideacitypropertytaxincentiveforalimitedtimeforindustrialorcommercialbusinessesthatinstallsolarpanels.

• Assistinworkingwithownerstoobtainproperincentivesforreimbursement.

• DevelopadedicatedcityRenewableEnergyOfficer(REO)toassistcompaniesinmeetingrequirements,inspectionandimplementationofasolarenergyplan.

Attachment1SolarPriceDeclineGraph

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Attachment2

ExamplesofSolarPanelUsage

ParkingDeckcoveragethatstillallowsvehicleparkingunderneaththesolarpanels

atLongBeachCityCollege(Photofromgreenbuildingelements.com)

AmazonWarehouseRooftopSolarPanels(Photofromcnet.com)

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Targetrooftop(Photofromsolarreviews.com)

PhotobyPowerparasol.com

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CarollCollegeStudentBuildinginMontana(PhotobyCaroll.edu)

PhotobyGodfreyhoffman.com

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PhotocreditbyBlueOakEnergyPhotovoltaics

MultifamilyresidentialUnit(Photobysunlightandpower.com)

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APPENDIX

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