►
Description
It's official! We have broken ground on SunSmart Ames Community Solar Project. The solar panels will soon start appearing on the site along Airport Road.
It's not too late to get involved. Ames Electric Services customers can purchase a Power Pack and support renewable energy. ☀️☀️☀️
For more information, go to www.CityOfAmes.org/Solar
A
All
right
well
good
morning
to
everyone
and
welcome
to
this
historic
groundbreaking
session,
and
before
I
begin
I
just
want
to
recognize.
We
have
a
number
of
council
members
here
today
we
have
gloria
betcher
brown,
beatty,
hanson
david
martin,
tim
garten,
amber
all
of
amber,
is
here
and
didn't
see
her,
and
I
think
that
rachel
is
not
able
to
make
it
either
so
anyway.
A
So
it's
a
big
deal
for
city
council,
so
it
was
a
month.
It
was
a
year
ago
today
this
month
that
city
council
voted
unanimously
to
enter
into
a
contract
with
forefront
power
to
construct
this
solar
farm.
B
Thank
you
mayor
today,
like
a
day
like
today,
is
a
perfect
day
for
solar.
Look
at
this
beautiful
sun.
No
clouds,
thank
you
that
came
from
our
solar
installer
see,
so
he
wants
to
be
out
here
working
on
a
day
like
today.
In
fact,
it's
kind
of
interesting
they
couldn't
even
wait
till
the
ground.
B
Breaking
they've
already
started
moving
a
little
bit
of
earth
here,
so
I'm
really
excited
with
forefront
and
ideal
energy
that
they
got
out
here
early
in
the
week
so
that
they
could
get
started
and
didn't
want
to
waste
one
day
we
have
a
lot
of
special
guests
here
today.
I
know
the
mayor
just
announced
the
council.
We
also
have
a
few
urab
members.
Urab
is
an
advisory
board
to
the
electric
department.
B
We
have
scott
goodhue
is
here,
and
we've
got
steve,
goodhue
and
scott
bauer,
all
right,
steve
and
scott
I'll
stick
with
the
first
names
but
they're
here
today.
So
thank
you
two
for
coming.
We
have
somebody
representing
a
forefront
who's,
also
with
ideal
energy,
and
that's
a
really
in
windenburger.
B
Just
a
few
minutes
ago
he
said
he
was
going
to
change
his
name
to
wind
and
solar
burger.
So
that'll
be
good.
We
have
his
boss
here
right
he's
your
boss
is
your
boss.
Here,
there's
orillian
see
you
can't
tell
with
the
masks
and
they're
both
wearing
the
same
exact
shirt.
I'm
sorry!
So
we
got
his
boss
here
too
troy
van
beek
troy.
Thank
you,
troy!
That's
a
really
in
over
there
to
make
it
clear.
B
We've
also
got
myself.
I
also
already
mentioned
steve
goodhue
and
scott
bauer.
We
also
have
paul
fellini
from
the
university
of
our
iowa
state
university
he's.
Where
is
he
at
way
over?
On
that
end,
I
gotta
look
around
before.
I
start
pointing
it's
one
of
those
terrible
things
that
I
have
so
I
want
to
make
a
couple
of
quick
comments
before
we
get
started.
Oh
there's,
two
other
people.
I
do
want
to
mention
that
that
aren't
on
the
list,
but
they
were
instrumental
in
getting
this
project
going.
B
One
is
jeff
witt
used
to
work
for
iowa
state
he's
now
retired,
but
he
came
out
here
today
to
be
part
of
it
and
another
person.
On
my
team
that
has
been
instrumental
is
kaylee
burroughs
lane
kaylee
wave
over
there
if
it
wasn't
for
all
of
the
efforts
that
she
put
in
in
this
last
year,
this
wouldn't
be
the
groundbreaking
that
we're
having
today.
So
thank
you,
kaylee.
I
want
to
mention
a
few
things
so
sunsmart
ames,
which
is
where
we're
at
right
now,
is
the
first
community
solar
project
in
ames.
B
It's
providing
community,
renewable
and
clean
energy.
The
city
staff
began
this
back
way
back
in
2017.
And
what
really
caused
this
to
happen
was
we
had
a
lot
of
our
customers
putting
solar
on
their
homes,
but
we
have
many
customers
that
are
renters,
that
that
couldn't
put
them
on
their
homes
or
they
lived
in
the
wrong
part
of
town
or
their
roofs
were
shaded.
So
we
said,
let's
build
a
community
solar
farm
so
that
every
customer
of
ames,
residential
commercial
industrial
can
all
participate.
B
Participants
in
the
project
have
purchased
point
and
can
still
purchase.
So
those
of
you
who
don't
have
a
name
up
here,
please
think
about
purchasing
a
power
pack
they're
three
hundred
dollars
each
and
you
can
go
to
our
website
to
get
that
better.
Yet
call
kaylee
at
239-5177
get
your
pa.
Get
your
power
pack
everybody's
got
their
phones
out.
I
saw
a
lot
of
you
kind
of
putting
that
number
in
that's
great.
B
If
you
do
purchase
a
power
pack,
what
happens?
Well,
participants
will
receive
credits
on
their
utility
bill
for
the
next
20
years
and
it's
based
basically
on
the
actual
monthly
output
of
the
farm
and
the
percent
of
ownership
that
you
have
in
the
farm.
So
the
more
power
packs
you
buy
the
larger
the
credit.
B
The
neat
thing
about
our
project
is
it's
it's
very,
very
flexible,
so
this
program
allows
any
ames
electric
customer
to
buy
into
the
solar
energy
at
an
investment
level
that
works
for
you,
even
if
you're
renting,
even
if
you're
roof
a
shaded,
even
if
you're
not
sure,
you'll
be
in
ames
for
the
next
20
years.
Let's
say
you
plan
on
being
here
for
20
years,
but
you
buy
a
power
pack.
We
have
flexibility
in
the
program
that
all
else
fails,
we'll
buy
it
back.
B
You
could
leave
it
with
the
house,
you
could
donate
it
to
friends
or
family
or
your
church,
or
a
non-profit
anybody
you'd
like
to
something
special
up
on
the
board.
You
see
a
lot
of
names
that
that
were
mentioned
up
on
top.
You
see
some
of
the
logos,
and
these
are
our
our
participants
that
what
I
would
say
is
went
above
and
beyond
so
commercial
participants
who
purchased
enough
power
packs
to
cover
at
least
one
percent
of
their
electric
consumption.
B
B
So
next
I'm
going
to
invite
the
speaker
on
behalf
of
forefront
and
I
am
going
to
say,
aurelian,
wind
and
solar,
wind
and
solar
burger
golly.
I
gotta
keep
looking
the
right
way.
Thank
you.
C
Thanks
don
so
again,
my
my
name
is
arillian
windenberger,
but
I've
got
a
new
nickname
now,
which
is
great
and
again
I
work
as
head
of
solar
design
for
ideal
energy,
but
I'm
speaking
today
on
behalf
of
forefront
power,
ideal
energy
is
constructing
the
project
on
behalf
of
forefront
and
I'm
sharing
some
remarks
on
their
behalf
because
they
couldn't
be
here
from
rachel
mclaughlin
forefront
powers.
Vice
president
of
sales
forefront,
power
would
like
to
first
and
foremost,
acknowledge
the
decision
by
the
city
of
ames
to
move
forward
with
this
community
solar
project.
C
C
Throughout
the
process,
the
city
of
ames
and
ames,
electric
staff
have
inspired
us
with
the
extra
work
that
they've
put
in
every
step
of
the
way
to
help
make
this
project
happen
here
at
airport
road,
we
are
standing
at
the
future
site
of
a
2.2
megawatt
solar
array
in
just
a
few
short
months.
This
solar
array
will
provide
clean
electricity
to
hundreds
of
ames
electric
customers.
C
The
amount
of
electricity
that
this
project
will
generate
is
equivalent
to
the
amount
required
to
power
more
than
250
homes
per
year.
That
makes
this
project
one
of
the
largest
solar
projects
ever
in
the
state
of
iowa.
So
congratulations
to
you
to
the
city
and
to
everyone
who's,
making
this
project
possible.
C
The
environmental
impact
of
these
projects
is
significant.
By
going
solar,
ames,
electric
customers
will
offset
nearly
2502
tons
of
carbon
emissions
per
year,
and
this
is
the
equivalent
of
taking
500
cars
off
the
road.
C
This
achievement
is
not
only
impressive
for
its
environmental
impact,
but
also
for
its
innovative
structure,
as
dawn
mentioned
as
much
as
we
would
like
for
on-site.
Solar
energy
to
work
in
every
location,
about
half
of
u.s
households
and
businesses
are
unable
to
install
solar
due
to
lack
of
roof
space,
lack
of
sun
exposure
or
ownership
limitations,
and
this
is
according
to
the
national
renewable
energy
laboratory.
C
C
Finally,
today's
groundbreaking
ceremony
would
not
have
been
possible
without
the
nearly
four
years
of
work,
hard
work
done
by
the
team
at
the
city
of
ames,
ames,
electric
ideal,
energy
and
forefront
power.
I
would
like
to
give
special
thanks
to
donald
calm.
Kaylee
lane
lyndon
cook
aurelien
windenberger
angie
dowd
david
granlin,
felipe
pinchera
and
math
grossman.
D
Thank
you.
Everybody.
I
of
course
want
to
thank
the
city
of
ames
for
making
this
possible
for
inviting
us
to
participate
and
working
with
forefront.
It's
been
fantastic.
D
D
It's
been
a
great
job
by
the
city
to
put
this
together
and
and
allow
us
to
participate.
Ideal
energy
was
formed
about
nearly
12
years
ago.
You
know
I
it's
a
veteran-owned
business.
My
military
background
gave
me
great
pride
in
serving
our
country
and
really
creating
world
security.
I
came
back.
You
know
from
the
middle
east
really
wanting
to
make
a
difference,
as
I
I
came
home
and
getting
involved
in
renewable
energies
was
my
way
of
doing
that
and
continuing
on
that
world
security
effort.
D
B
B
Is
going
to
be,
I
got
to
get
his
title
right,
so
it's
paul
fellini
associate
vice
president
for
facilities
at
iowa
state
paul.
E
E
In
the
years
since,
though,
to
meet
our
needs
on
campus
iowa
state
has
worked
with
the
city
of
ames
for
the
supply
of
electricity
to
our
greater
community.
We
cooperate
in
support
of
the
city
electrical
system
that
connects
aims
in
the
university
to
the
electrical
grid
in
the
midwest,
and
we
daily
coordinate
our
purchases
of
that
electricity.
E
B
B
I
would
invite
everybody
who's
here
or
everybody
who's
joining
us
via
what
is
it?
Youtube,
live
facebook
live
or,
if
you're,
on
channel
12,
if
you
can
come
out
to
the
site
sometime,
come
find
your
name
up
on
the
board,
get
a
picture
with
it.
We
want
to
recognize
everybody.
That's
made
a
step
forward
in
buying
renewable
energy.
If
you
haven't
yet
you
can
still
buy
a
power
pack
or
two
we're
going
to
continue
to
add
names
to
this
board
until
we
have
to
put
up
a
second
board,
then
we'll
add
even
those
names.