Johnson County to fix leaky roof, prepare for solar panels

IOWA CITY - Johnson County officials plan to take the opportunity of necessary updates to the county administration building's roof to add solar panels.

Johnson County Supervisor Mike Carberry said it just makes sense that while fixing a portion of the roof above the county board's offices, which has been prone to leaks at the 913 S. Dubuque St. building, to also install the infrastructure needed to hold a future solar array.

'Let's take care of the leaking roof, but let's make sure we build that new roof so it will accommodate solar in the future,” Carberry said.

Andy Johnson, board executive assistant, said $450,000 has been budgeted for the roof repairs and requests-for-qualifications from prospective architects and engineers likely will be voted on Thursday by the Board of Supervisors.

Johnson said the hope is to host public hearings this spring for power purchase agreements (PPA) between Johnson County and North Liberty's Moxie Solar for the Administration Building's solar panels and the solar array planned for the Johnson County Secondary Roads building at 4810 Melrose Ave.

In a PPA, the solar company would construct and own the array, while the county buys the electricity and takes advantage of tax credits otherwise unavailable to local municipalities.

Plans for solar at the new secondary roads building still are coming together, said Josh Busard, Johnson County assistant planner.

'We're making progress and I hope that we can start work soon,” Busard said.

The former secondary roads facility was damaged by a March 2013 fire, and construction on the new building began about one year later.

With sustainability a key focal point for the board, Carberry said it's likely solar arrays will be included in additional county projects in the future, including possibly on the new ambulance services and medical examiner's building planned for 808 S. Dubuque St.

'There is more of a load on the roof, and you need to think ahead as you're designing the building,” Carberry said. 'Those are the things we want to think of upfront.”