Two St. Louis Public Library buildings now run on solar energy, saving thousands of dollars on electric bills and reducing carbon emissions.
The Buder and Julia Davis libraries each have 156 panels that capture the sun’s energy and convert it to electricity to help power the buildings. The panels, installed last spring, are expected to reduce annual carbon emissions by over 240,000 pounds.
The solar panels and other energy upgrades also are saving the library system about $40,000 annually, said Justin Struttmann, chief operating officer for the library.
“We had a bill come in from Ameren for our electricity that was smaller than my bill at home. It was incredible,” Struttmann said. “The business office thought there had been some kind of mistake, so it's been a huge savings for us.”
The library system paid $450,000 for the panels and expects to get about half of those dollars back in tax credits through the federal Inflation Reduction Act and rebates from Ameren Missouri. The upfront cost is expensive, but these incentives make the long-term investment worth it, Struttmann said. In less than 12 years, he expects the library to break even.
The two libraries are the only city-owned or operated buildings using solar panels. In Missouri, reliance on solar energy is growing, with 32% more power generated from the sun in 2023 compared to 2022.
John Newcomer, who manages the Julia Davis branch located near Fairground Park, said investing in sustainable energy is important, especially in places like north St. Louis, which is often left out of innovative solutions.
“This is a great opportunity, I think, for residents at large to learn about solar and sustainability, not just here, but more broadly within the larger community,” Newcomer said.
The libraries also installed TV displays to show visitors how much energy the solar panels are generating in real time. Flora Ann Warren, a volunteer at Julia Davis Library, said the monitor allows her to better understand complex energy data.
“A lot of people don't understand fossil fuels, they just think they're going to be here forever, but they won't, so this display will help,” Warren said.
The library system hired Chesterfield-based decarbonization company Veregy to oversee the project. The panels were installed on new roofs and are expected to last 30 years with little maintenance required.
