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Renewable Energy Projects

The Operations Department oversees several renewable energy projects.

The roof of the Barber Park Administration Building serves as the perfect location for the County’s only PV solar installation.  With its white membrane roof and unobstructed southern exposure, the system generates 11.5 KW of solar energy that is net-metered by Idaho Power.

View real-time power generation

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Barber Park PV System Design, Configuration, and Layout – How it Works

Case Study and How it Works (pdf)

  • photovoltaic-energy-barberparkThe PV system is comprised of 4 sets of 15 “panels” that all feed into a single Midnight Solar Combiner Box (#1).
  • A Combiner Box sends the DC power out in 2+ (positive) and 2- (negative) feeds to a Junction Box (#2) and up to the Inverters (#3a and #3b). Each inverter gets 1 and 1-.
  • The inverters convert the POWER from DC to AC and send it back through the Junction Box and over to a Breaker Box (#4).
  • The inverters send the DATA about how much energy is produced on a cable to the Sunny WebBox (#5).
  • The Sunny WebBox sends the DATA via an ethernet cable (#6) to the data closet in the Admin Bldg and out to the internet, on the DSL service provided to the building by CenturyLink, to the SMA website.
  • A kiosk in the front foyer area pulls the data from the SMA website (using a DSL cable line from the data closet) and displays the energy information reported by the inverters.
  • The power, now converted from DC to AC, runs in conduit from the Breaker Box (#4) to the SE corner of the roof (#7), down the side of the Admin Bldg to a disconnect switch (#8).
  • The AC power runs in a trench from the disconnect switch on the Admin Bldg over to a meter and disconnect switch (#8) where it is net metered by Idaho Power.

The Barber Dam is a timber-crib dam on the Boise River located about 3 mi (5 km) east of Boise, Idaho.  The dam was constructed between 1904 and 1906 to serve as a mill pond for timber.  A power plant was also constructed in conjunction with the dam to power the mill and the town of Barberton (Barber).  The mill closed down during the Great Depression.  Ada County purchased the dam in 1977.  The power house contains two Kaplan turbine generators with a combined capacity of 4.14 MW and is operated by Enel Green Power.

As waste in a landfill decomposes, it produces methane and carbon dioxide. Methane is captured at the Ada County landfill and used to generate electricity.  Two 1.6 MW Caterpillar engines are used to generate power that is fed directly into Idaho Power’s grid.

Diagram shows the conversion of landfill gas to energy. Ada County’s landfill currently operates 170 landfill gas wells. Landfill Gas blowers create a vacuum to draw the landfill gas from the landfill wells to the flare system and gas treatment system. Yellow arrows represent condensate being removed from the land fill gas, then returned to the flare. The flare operates continuously to destroy condensate and control landfill emissions. Red arrows represent the gas treatment system condensing and dewatering the landfill gas that is used to power the two 1600 KW Generators. Two 1600 KW Caterpillar Engines produce 3.2MW of electricity. Distribution lines supply power to Idaho Power’s electric grid.