Project Background

The new addition to the Lee County Justice Center is a model of energy efficiency and conservation. This project consists of installing a 16.56 kW grid-connected solar-powered system that will be used to offset the energy costs of electricity used by the LCJC. The project will monitor the performance of the system and make the on-going results available to officials and the public. Information gathered through the system's design, installation, and performance monitoring will provide valuable research information concerning practical photovoltaic alternative energy systems design and integration. Its research value will be enhanced by its additional asset as an excellent teaching and demonstration tool. The purpose of this program is to aid in photovoltaic system design by providing accurate and in-depth information on likely system power output and load consumption, necessary backup power during the operation of the system, and the financial impacts of installing the proposed system. The system is vitally important to the overall scope of the alternative energy plan envisioned by the Lee County Commission and Auburn University's Space Research Institute. The initial 16.56 kW will serve as the backbone of the expandable system located at the LCJC complex.

In 2002, Lee County , the City of Auburn and the City of Opelika embarked on a joint project of a new addition to the Lee County Justice Center (LCJC) complex with the development of a consolidated Lee County Detention Center. With the design phase beginning in November 2003, construction of the facility began in earnest in September 2005 and was completed on time and in budget on May 1, 2007.

During both the planning and construction phases every effort was made to guarantee the facility would be as energy-efficient as possible while ensuring construction costs were handled in a cost-efficient way. The expansion to the LCJC was designed to incorporate as a minimum the applicable guidelines of the Alabama Energy Code.

But the concept of energy conservation didn't end with the inclusion of energy-efficient materials and systems; the Lee County Commission and Justice officials also searched for ways to build upon the concept and save taxpayers additional costs. By incorporating alternative energy through an expandable photovoltaic solar power panel system, officials hope to ultimately reduce energy consumption by as much as 25 percent. Through a collaborative effort between the Space Research Institute, Lee County and the LCJC, this complex will be a showcase for the future.

This project adds a 16.56 kW grid-connected solar-powered system that will be used to offset the energy costs of electricity used by the LCJC in its new addition.

Introducing a photovoltaic power system to the LCJC will be the first such installation in the State of Alabama at such a facility.

Photovoltaic power systems convert sunlight directly into electricity with an efficiency of about 20 percent. As the cost of electricity is continually increasing, the burden to the taxpayer also increases proportionally. Because sunlight is “free”, the cost of this “fuel” is zero. The major cost will be to purchase the photovoltaic (solar cell) panels and the electrical inverter equipment to convert the direct current (DC) electricity from the solar panel into the alternating current (AC) that is used in the particular loads in the center.

Due to the existing facility layout, all of the necessary electrical conversion, conditioning and load connections can easily be added to a selected location requiring the minimum of mechanical integration effort. The location also will easily accommodate future expansions of this system as the opportunity arises.