The City is committed to conserving energy. On June 12, 2014 Tempe City Council adopted a goal to provide a minimum of 20% of the municipal operations energy from renewable energy sources by the year 2025. Here are some of the projects and programs the City has going on right now to ensure this goal is met.
Solar Projects: One of Tempe’s goals is to increase the use of sustainable, efficient and clean alternative energy in city facilities and operations. Check here for updated information on all of the City's past, present and future solar installations.
Tempe is increasing the use of sustainable, efficient and clean alternative energy by installing solar structures on city property. Learn about completed projects below.
Johnny G. Martinez Water Treatment Plant at 255 East Marigold Lane
- 1.2 MW System
- Provides 30% of the plant's energy needs
- Completed in March 2018
East Valley Bus & Operations Center at 2050 West Rio Salado Parkway
- 537 kW system
- Provides 33% of the center’s energy needs
- Completed in October 2016
Kiwanis Recreation Center at 6111 South All-America Way
- 372 kW system
- Provides 30% of the center’s energy needs
- Five solar canopies will provide 156 shaded parking spaces for patrons
- Completed in July 2016
Library and History Museum at 3500 South Rural Road
- 800 kW system
- Provides 35% of complex’s power needs
- Five solar canopies will provide 262 shaded parking spaces for patrons
- Completed in March 2016
Police and Courts - Downtown at 120 East 5th Street
- 265 kW system
- Produces 12% of building’s power needs
- Completed in April 2015
South Water Treatment Plant at 6600 South Price Road
- 924 kW system
- Produce’s 15% of plant’s power needs
- Completed in March 2014
Conservation Program: As utility costs continue to increase, the City must look for new ways to conserve resources and energy. In our efforts to save money, reduce energy use and conserve our resources, the City of Tempe is implementing an energy conservation plan that includes changes and improvements to buildings, procedures and employee contributions.
- Energy Conservation Program: As utility costs continue to increase, the City must look for new ways to conserve resources and energy. In our efforts to save money, reduce energy use and conserve our resources, the City of Tempe has implemented an energy conservation plan that includes changes and improvements to buildings, procedures and employee contributions. The plan, rolled out on Jan. 3, 2011, includes the following changes: procedural changes, employee participation, and energy cost/savings.
Project Background
- In 2010, Ameresco (formerly APS Energy Services) conducted an audit of 23 city facilities and identified ways to reduce energy consumption and utility costs. Through an energy performance agreement with the firm, city facilities will receive a variety of energy conservation upgrades over the next year, creating work for approximately 100 construction employees.
- Tempe received $930,000 in Energy Efficiency & Conservation Block Grant funds to partially cover program costs, which total $8.7 million, in addition to $373,000 in utility rebates.
- The remaining project costs will be financed through special low-interest bonds, which will be paid over 15 years through utility cost savings of $550,670 per year due to reduced power consumption.
Reduced Costs, Reduced Emissions
- These upgrades are anticipated to save $517,480 in electricity, $7,596 in water, $5,894 in natural gas, plus $9,701 in operating and maintenance costs each year. Tempe will save approximately 30% in annual energy costs for the 23 buildings getting energy-efficient equipment.
- In addition, these changes will reduce Tempe's CO2 emissions by 9,360,896 lbs per year, equivalent to an annual emissions savings of removing 804 passenger cars from the road, saving the energy from 574 typical American homes, or planting and growing 114,821 trees
Retrofits: Tempe is implementing its energy conservation plan by updating lighting, rewiring controls, installing thermostats and sensors and repairing mechanical equipment. In addition, the City received $377,000 in Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant funds and a $432,500 Community Development Block Grant through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for streetlight retrofits. The City plans to convert more than 2,000 high pressure sodium streetlights to induction lighting to help reduce energy use.
Building Retrofits:
Project Schedule, Summary, and Updates
- Project Schedule - Anticipated dates, energy conservation measures, and anticipated annual savings
- Upgrades Summary - Check out the full list of upgrades coming to City of Tempe facilities
Lighting Upgrades
Lighting Retrofits and Occupancy Sensors: Modifications will be made to existing linear fluorescent lights, incandescent lamps, exit signs, High Intensity Discharge (HID) fixtures, exterior lighting and installation of occupancy and light level sensors to improve light quality, maintain appropriate light levels by task, reduce energy consumption and standardize equipment. Facilities: All
Tempe Diablo Stadium Lighting: Old lighting fixtures will be replaced with new, energy-efficient sports lighting fixtures.
Water Upgrades
Water Fixture Upgrades
Facilities: Courts/Police Building, Edna Vihel Center, South Police Substation, Westside Multi-Gen Facility
Chiller Plant Optimization with New Heat Exchanger
Facilities: Courts/Police Building, affecting Courts/PD, City Hall, 525 Office Building, and the Tempe Performing Arts Center (TPAC)
HVAC Upgrades
Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) Controls Retrofit
Facilities: All
Premium Efficiency Pump Motors
Facilities: City Hall
Rooftop Unit Replacement
Facilities: Edna Vihel Center, Escalante Multi-Gen Facility, Fire Station #1 & Admin Bldg., Fire Station #5, Hardy Yard, Priest Yard E, Tempe Diablo Stadium, Westside Multi-Gen Facility
Split System Replacement
Facilities: Fire Stations #3 and #5, Fire Training Facility, Hardy Yard, Priest Yards A-D, South Police Substation, Tempe Diablo Stadium
Monitoring & Management Upgrades
Retro-Commissioning
Facilities: City Hall, Courts/Police Building
Computer Power Management
Facilities: City-Wide
Custom DDC Web Platform with Whole Building Monitoring
Facilities: City-Wide
Streetlight Retrofits:
More than 2,000 high pressure sodium streetlights in the downtown and in neighborhoods will be converted to induction lighting to help reduce energy use and greenhouse gas emissions and well as save money. Tempe will continue to seek additional funds to expand the program citywide.
