Government : Vinton-Shellsburg gains approval from VMEU to add solar

After a very lengthy discussion at the Vinton Municipal Electric Utility meeting on Tuesday evening, the board voted to approve the school's decision to add solar power. 

The discussion included much debate about how large the capacity should be on the panels. For the electric workers, it was a matter of safety. If there is any extra electric power surge that flows back into the general system it could cause problems for the utility.  The utility also made it clear that if the city will need to generate power during storms or any disasters, the solar would have to be shut off during that time. 

There was a bit of disagreement on what size of generation that the school would need for solar production. On one side, the school assumed that they needed more, but on the utility side, the consultant thought it should be a bit less. The idea is to produce a lower amount than needed and there is always the possibility to add on later if necessary.

If the school should produce more than is necessary the utility will buy it to sell to resident.

The meeting was an educational session in solar and how it works for those making the decisions as well as those listening. The City had a consultant explain the city's side of the case while the school had their own explaining