Solar panels on Sedgwick County building will have to wait

The future of a Sedgwick County-owned building getting its first solar panels will have to wait.

After some back and forth on Wednesday, the Sedgwick County Commission decided to put roughly $247,000 to the side while commissioners wait on an energy audit.

Commissioner Lacey Cruse had initially pushed to take bids on putting solar panels on either the Sedgwick County Tag Office or the Extension Office. A presentation for commissioners showed a return on investment would occur within 14 to 19 years, but Commissioner Jim Howell mentioned that the presentation didn’t include replacing parts that had a 15-year life. He didn’t want to vote on sending out a request for bids until they had all the information.

Commission Chair David Dennis echoed Howell’s concerns.

“First of all, I appreciate the conversation is started. I think it is time for us to discuss something like this,” Dennis said. “We are paying for it immediately and (with) returns in the next 20 years … and at the end of 20 years who knows what kind of condition those things are going to be in and whether or not we are going to continue to have one.”

“I believe we need to do things that are green.”

In the end, commissioners decided to set aside the money from a 2019 surplus and Cruse agreed.

Cruse initially brought the idea to the commission after seeing solar panels at Maize High School. That array is one of the largest privately-owned systems in Kansas and was launched via the efforts of educators and students raising money.

No timeline was given for when the audit would be completed and the commission would take up the issue again.

This story was originally published December 18, 2019 at 6:12 PM.