Solar energy installation planned for Ann Arbor's Veterans Memorial Park Pool

The Ann Arbor City Council voted 9-0 this week to approve a $39,100 contract, plus a contingency of $3,910, with Pranam Global Tech Inc. to construct the structure.

The project is part of the city's matching fund requirement for a Solar America Cities grant from the U.S. Department of Energy.

City officials say the project, once completed, will be a "highly visible demonstration of photovoltaic technology." Electricity from the installation is expected to help to power Veterans Memorial Park Pool and Ice Rink, complementing an existing solar pool heating system.

The shade structure also will provide a valuable amenity to pool visitors, similar to the existing shade structure at Fuller Pool, according to Andrew Brix, the city's energy programs manager. He said care will be taken to minimize impacts to pool users.

Brix said the city is purchasing the photovoltaic collectors for the project separately because the manufacturer, Uni-Solar, has agreed to sell solar collectors at a reduced cost to the city based on the Solar America Cities Partnership. Installation of the photovoltaic collectors will be bid and contracted for separately as soon as the shade structure is completed.

Funding for the project is expected to come from the energy fund operations and maintenance budget ($33,010) and community service's capital park maintenance and capital improvement millage budget ($10,000). Construction is expected to start shortly.

View Larger Map

Ryan J. Stanton covers government and politics for AnnArbor.com. Reach him at ryanstanton@annarbor.com or 734-623-2529. You also can follow him on Twitter or subscribe to AnnArbor.com's e-mail newsletters.