Daleville solar projects expected to finish in a few weeks

Caleb Amick, The Herald Bulletin, Anderson, Ind.
·3 min read

Oct. 11—DALEVILLE — Things could be getting sunnier in Daleville, now that its water system will be solar-powered. Town Council President Tom Roberts said the town is having solar panels installed to power the water tower and Town Hall.

In doing so, the town is spending an estimated $381,000. Roberts said federal American Rescue Plan funds will be used in combination with other funding sources; taxpayer funds should not be needed.

"We used some of our ARP money to buy solar for the water tower, so that electric will be taken care of for (almost) 40 years," he said. "We used some of the other money for the new Town Hall, so that'll mostly be taken care of."

Roberts said ARP funds could be used for the Town Hall portion, but they are trying to keep their options open.

Time is of the essence with this project. Council Vice President Adam Jones said the projects would need to be completed but not started until Jan. 1, 2023, to receive a 30% rebate from the federal government. He estimated both projects should be finished in the next few weeks

"With the ARP funds, we could have either done one-time purchases — something tangible like a backhoe, a new salt truck, something like that — or we could invest it in something that will pay us back for 30 years. So that's the route we went down."

Jones said the solar power would supply almost 100% of the Town Hall's needs per year but only 50% for the water tower, meaning it will have to be supplemented with conventional electricity.

The panels, he said, are projected to last for 35 years but are only guaranteed for 25 years. Jones said the panels will be located in different areas of the intersection of Walnut and Indiana 32. The town consulted the Indiana Department of Environmental Management about placing one solar panel 100 or more feet from a well.

"We are able to put the panel on the ground that we have for our wells. That does not cause any issues as far as contamination or anything like that. (IDEM) told us that that was perfectly fine, it was an accepted practice," Jones said.

Both EvonCore of Middletown and GRNE Solar of Palatine, Illinois, competed for the work, with EvonCore winning with a $381,000 bid.

More information will be coming during the Town Council meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday. The stormwater project will be another item of discussion. Roberts said the bid for the project will be awarded during the meeting.

Chesterfield

Chesterfield, Daleville's neighbor to the west, has not disclosed plans for its ARP funds. Clerk-Treasurer Debbie Dunham said the town has tabled its plans to make room for more pressing issues. She said the Town Council meeting planned for Tuesday has been postponed a week until Oct. 18.

Follow Caleb Amick on Twitter @AmickCaleb. Contact him at caleb.amick@heraldbulletin.com or 765-648-4254.