vvEPA

RE-Powering America's Land:

Unit6d Statss

Siting Renewable Energy on Potentially Contaminated Land and Mine Sites Environmental Protection

9	1	Agency

Sour Pickles to Solar Garden	June 2017

Through the RE-Powering America's Land Initiative, EPA encourages the reuse of formerly contaminated lands, landfills and
mine sites for renewable energy development, when such development aligns with a community's vision for the site. This case
study highlights a successful community solar project on a former brownfield, including information on how key challenges
were addressed.

Pickle Power

In 2015, the city of Fort Collins, CO, transformed an old pickle plant, repurposing it into a community solar garden. The site
was idle for nearly 30 years, but is now home to the Riverside Community Solar Project. The project gave the pickle plant
property new life, while offering renewable energy for residents who were otherwise unable to install solar panels.

A Salty Past

Fort Collins is the county seat of Colorado's Larimer County and is
situated 65 miles north of Denver. With a 2015 Census estimated
population of 161,175, it is the fourth most populous city in
Colorado. Founded as a U.S. Army outpost in 1864, Fort Collins
has a history rich in agriculture, ranging from sugar beets to
cucumbers. At one time, the city supported up to 3,000 acres of
cucumber farms.

Pickles were processed at the Dreher Pickle Plant from the 1920s
through 1988. William Dreher and his sons operated the business
until 1975, at which point it was sold to Kansas-based Western
Food Products Co. The plant went idle in 1988. In May 1989, an
arson fire destroyed on-site buildings and structures. After a few
intervening owners, the city of Fort Collins bought the plant in
December 1995 and paid nearly $300,000 for the vacant site to
provide a buffer to the adjacent wastewater treatment facility.

The Property and Developer

In 2008, the city considered redeveloping the property as a park.

Reusing the Dreher site as a park, however, was limited by
several factors, including the presence of salts in the soil from
historic pickling operations (which limited landscaping options);
the bisecting of the parcel by a railroad right of way; and the
site's location in the habitat buffer zone of the Poudre River. In
addition, there was a need to create a buffer to the adjacent city
wastewater treatment facility. These factors caused the site to
remain underutilized.

In the meantime, the city had separately decided to develop a community solar site. The city conducted a multi-department
review of more than 20 of its own sites for renewable energy. The city screened sites based on multiple criteria, including site
size, visibility, accessibility, competing usage, related zoning and planning requirements, expansion potential, and site
development costs. The process led to the decision to pursue a community solar development at the former Dreher site. While
the above factors limited the site's use as a park, they were not prohibitive for a solar installation.

DREHER PICKLE SOLAR AT-A-GLANCE

•	Fort Collins, CO

•	Former pickling plant operated from 1921 to
1988

•	620-kW solar PV installation on approximately
three acres of a 4-acre site

•	2,035-panel solar array

•	Community solar system for residents of Fort
Collins

•	Low land lease cost for developer

•	25-year property lease with an option to extend
an additional 10 years

•	207 individual residential subscriptions of various
sizes sold

"The Riverside Community Solar Project is a
success for our customers, who benefit from
owning part of a shared solar project, and for
Fort Collins by enhancing and beautifying an
otherwise blighted site while expressing our
values for clean energy."

John Phelan

Resource Conservation Manager
Fort Collins Utilities

RE-Powering America's Land: Sour Pickles to Solar Garden

1


-------
RE-Powering America's Land:	v>EPA

Siting Renewable Energy on Potentially Contaminated Land and Mine Sites	Environmental Protection

° *	Agency

Sour Pickles to Solar Garden	June 2017

The first step in moving the project forward was to assess the site's contamination and clean-up status, A review of historical
records (Phase I) and the collecting and analyzing of soil and water samples (Phase II) were conducted by the previous site
owners in the early 1990s. Results of this monitoring were sent to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
(CDPHE). In 1995, the CDPHE issued a No Further Action (NFA) letter for the site, The NFA serves as acknowledgement that
the state believes the site did not require any further remedial action to protect public health and the environment.

Over time, as the site remained undeveloped, additional environmental assessments were conducted to ensure the protection
of public health and the environment. In 2000, a modified Phase I Environmental Site Assessment was completed on the Fort
Collins downtown river corridor under the U.S. EPA Brownfields Pilot Assessment Program. In addition, another Phase II
assessment of the site was conducted in 2008, as the city was determining how to best redevelop the property. During this
second phase, the city removed the remaining buildings on the Dreher site,

In 2014, before developing the community solar garden, the city
conducted groundwater and soil sampling and site evaluation to
confirm current site conditions, It was determined that no major
grading was required to accommodate the solar array, and that
pilings could be driven into the soil surface to anchor the panels,

Due to pre-existing environmental conditions, both engineering and
administrative controls were implemented in the design and
construction of the solar array, minimizing excavation and soil
disturbance, Additionally, the city accepted ongoing responsibility
for the pre-existing environmental conditions,

The city issued a request for proposal for development of
community solar at the site. The site was ultimately developed by
the Colorado-based Clean Energy Collective (CEC), CEC owns,
operates, and maintains its community-shared clean energy
facilities, and this arrangement provides worry-free participation in a
solar project for subscribers. Utility customers subscribe to portions
of the solar project and receive credits on their electricity bills just as
if the panels were on their own property, Electricity from the project
is fed into the electrical grid and managed by Fort Collins Utilities,
the city's municipal utility, The Dreher site is one of 21 CEC solar
installations in Colorado and the CEC's second project with a
municipal utility.

In addition to the array, improvements to a pedestrian trail are
planned for the site and are expected to be implemented as the
adjacent Riverside Avenue corridor is developed,

Dreher Pickle Plant site prior to solar installation.

Photo credit CEC.

RE-Powering America's Land: Sour Pickles to Solar Garden

2


-------
v>EPA

RE-Powering America's Land:

Siting Renewable Energy on Potentially Contaminated Land and Mine Sites	Environmental Protection

°	*	Agency

Sour Pickles to Solar Garden	June 2017

From Agricultural Roots to a Community Solar Garden

Community solar, sometimes referred to as a solar garden, is a solar installation subscribed to by individual community
members who receive power and/or financial benefits from the system, It is a voluntary program that provides an option for
clean renewable energy to homeowners, renters, and businesses who may not be able to install solar panels on-site. There
are two models for ownership of community solar, one in which participants buy individual solar panels, and another in which
participants buy kilowatts (kW) of capacity or kilowatt-hour (kWh) of production, A community solar installation offers unique
opportunities to participate in a solar project.

The Riverside Community Solar Project is eligible for tax credits and incentives and CEC charges a standard rate for the
panels1 where the effective cost for participants was $1,89 per watt.2 Subscribers receive a credit on their utility bills for the
electricity "their panel" produces (i.e., a proportionate amount of the total power generated). To implement this arrangement,
CEC has developed and uses a proprietary software called Community Solar Platform to manage the customer outreach and
acquisition process; monitor the array's production; integrate with the utility's billing system to calculate and apply production
credits to individual accounts; and provide an online dashboard displaying current and historic production, savings, and
environmental benefits specific to each customer.

Customers participating in the community solar project can take their shares with them if they move within the utility's territory.
If they move out of the city or service area, their solar share can be sold.

Success

The solar installation was completed in July 2015.
The site is part of a main entry corridor for the city.
The former rail switchyard and abandoned pickle
plant will be further improved by landscaping, the
installation of an art feature through the Art in Public
Places program and the addition of a natural habitat
buffer zone on the north end of the site,

The Fort Collins community was receptive to the solar
installation. The initial plans for development of the
Riverside Community Solar Project were for a 330-
kW system, but demand was so high that CEC nearly
doubled the system capacity to 620 kW. The array
sold out quickly; in fact, ail 207 individual residential
subscriptions of various sizes were sold prior to the
installation's ground-breaking.

Completed Riverside Community Solar Project at the former defunct Dreher
Pickle Plant site. Photo credit City of Fort Collins.

1	Fort Collins Utilities provides a rebate per watt of capacity purchased, and the installation qualifies for the 30 percent federal Investment Tax Credit (ITC) on the

net price paid to CEC. CEC aggregated the rebates, which were based on varying capacities and rates, and Fort Collins Utilities paid a lump sum at the end of the
2-year period. CEC made the pricing variations invisible to the customer and charged a standard, blended rate for the panels, providing equitable pricing for project
participants. CEC initially calculated the projected tax credit value customers could claim on their tax returns without accounting for the value of the rebated
deduction in their purchase price, but later refunded this amount ($0.30 per watt) to participants to comply with the tax credit rules.

2	The gross panel price was $3.70 per watt, which is $1,128.50 per 305-watt solar panel. The incentives aggregated by CEC substantially reduced the cost of each
panel so that the net price participants paid was $2.70 per Watt. The effective cost participants experienced after claiming the tax credit for the purchase was

$1.89 per watt, or $576.45 per 305-watt solar panel. This per-panel pricing applied to system sizes less than 3 kW, which was the rebate limit. Watts purchased
beyond 3 kW were not eligible for the rebate, but were eligible for the federal tax credit for solar.


-------
vvEPA

RE-Powering America's Land:

Unit6d Statss

Siting Renewable Energy on Potentially Contaminated Land and Mine Sites Environmental Protection

9	1	Agency

Sour Pickles to Solar Garden	June 2017

Citizens and community leaders were interested in community solar as a way to provide solar to residents with the inability to
install solar themselves, either due to inappropriate rooftop sites (e.g., shading) or simply preferring to have the benefits of
solar without the responsibility (e.g., upkeep and maintenance). Success and interest in the community solar installation at the
former Dreher Pickle Plant site is also due in part to the Fort Collins Energy Policy and Climate Action Plan. This plan has
some of the most aggressive goals in the nation to reduce community greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The city's Plan calls
for reductions in community GHG emissions of 20 percent below 2005 by 2020, 80 percent below 2005 by 2030, and carbon
neutrality by 2050. In its Resolution 2015-2030 of the Council of the City of Fort Collins Updating Community Greenhouse Gas
Reduction Goals, the city recognizes that, "actions to reduce community GHG emissions also improve community resilience to
climate disruption and provide multiple ancillary benefits such as reduced risk through a diversified energy portfolio, reduced
air pollution and associated health benefits and increased mobility choices."

The partnership between the city and CEC was also vital to the success of this project. CEC provided a turnkey project for
design, construction, recruitment, and ongoing subscriber management. In turn, Fort Collins leased the land at a low cost,
provided incentive funding, and agreed to manage the various billing arrangements. CEC and the city collaborate on ongoing
site management.

Stakeholders secured the financing for the project through a combination of solar rebates from Fort Collins Utilities and the
panel purchases of subscribers. The solar rebates from Fort Collins Utilities totaled $495,000 to CEC, which then discounted
the buy-in price for customers. As previously noted, the installation is eligible for the federal ITC.

For More Information

For more information about the RE-Powering America's Land Initiative and tips on developing renewable energy on contaminated
lands, visit EPA's website. Information about energy generated and benefits from the installation can be viewed here.

RE-Powering America's Land: Sour Pickles to Solar Garden


-------
vvEPA

RE-Powering America's Land:

Unit6d Statss

Siting Renewable Energy on Potentially Contaminated Land and Mine Sites Environmental Protection

9	1	Agency

Sour Pickles to Solar Garden	June 2017

Key Takeaways from Project Participants

• Community solar projects are popular with residents who cannot or choose not to site solar on their own
properties. Community solar subscriptions can provide a procurement strategy to realize the benefits of
solar and the redevelopment of a local, formerly contaminated property.

o The sold-out status of the project indicates clear interest in this type of local community solar
development. Local media coverage highlighted the repurposing of an environmentally
compromised site as well as the associated habitat restoration on the adjacent river corridor.

o The economies of scale of a community solar installation may make it more advantageous to be
a subscriber than to host and own a smaller array.

• Liability operations and maintenance issues associated with brownfields can be overcome when

stakeholders share information and clarify responsibilities. The brownfield status of the site required some
negotiation with the solar project developer as well as the city's acceptance of some ongoing responsibility
for the site within the land lease, which is a departure from prior city policy.

•	Turnkey arrangements can facilitate community solar projects for both the site host and subscribers. The
city's key partner in this installation is CEC. CEC provided a largely turnkey project for design,
construction, recruitment, and ongoing participant management. The city in turn provided the land at a low
cost lease, as well as offering incentive funding and managing the billing arrangements (virtual net
metering). CEC and the city are collaborating on ongoing site management.

•	Community input can lead to beneficial design enhancements. The initial development plans called for a
330-kW system, but early demand prompted CEC to nearly double the final system capacity. The solar
panel subscriptions were fully reserved before construction was completed.

• Careful consideration should be given to the use of rebates and tax credits. Managing and understanding
rebates can be a complicated process; developers have to ensure that appropriate discounts are being
taken at the appropriate time in the process. Doing so will allow incentives to be properly leveraged, which
can help reduce the cost of a solar installation.

RE-Powering America's Land: Sour Pickles to Solar Garden

5


-------