Reading, Pennsylvania, Finds Value of Energy Savings Performance Contracts Through C2C Program
Peer-Learning Cohorts Helped Reading Plan for Solar Panels That Will Save City Hundreds of Thousands of Dollars a Year
In the fall of 2024, Reading, Pennsylvania, will break ground on solar installations that will save the city $300,000 a year in energy bills. But it was a long journey to get to this point—one that included valuable guidance from the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Clean Energy to Communities (C2C) program.
“Reading has historically been disinvested in. We are the fourth-largest city in the commonwealth, and some of our needs are so large and so great, they're just overwhelming,” Reading Sustainability Manager Bethany Ayers-Fisher said. “We’re looking at moving forward and taking advantage of funding opportunities to invest in ourselves.”
In 2019, the city of Reading, Pennsylvania, made a commitment to power the entire community with 100% clean, renewable energy across all sectors by 2050. Over the past year, Reading had its sights set on its first energy savings performance contract (ESPC) to install solar panels at municipal buildings. An ESPC is a funding mechanism that allows public agencies to implement energy savings projects without up-front capital costs, as long as the participating energy service company can guarantee the energy savings are high enough to cover the costs over the term of the contract.
To help them navigate this process, Reading joined a C2C peer-learning cohort in January 2024 with 14 others to plan for investing in energy efficiency and decarbonization at municipal buildings.
Through conversations with fellow cohort members and presentations from experts, Ayers-Fisher walked away with real-world, replicable examples of building decarbonization strategies, and she confirmed that an ESPC could support their priorities. Cohort session presentations helped Reading develop a strategy to prioritize electrification of buildings that are currently heated by oil, and they introduced her to additional funding opportunities that could advance Reading’s goals.
“At the beginning of the cohort, the ESPC felt like a pipe dream,” said Ayers-Fisher, who participated in the cohort. “And now we see, yes, we can do this.”
The 1.78-MW rooftop and parking-lot solar installation is expected to start construction later this year and will give them a boost toward Reading’s 100% renewable energy goal by providing energy for city hall and the Public Works Department, two of the highest energy use municipal buildings in the city. On top of the robust financial savings, Ayers-Fisher is looking forward to another perk of parking lot solar canopies: less snow to shovel off of their cars in the winter.
“We are so excited. It’s like Christmas is coming early this year,” Ayers-Fisher said.
Reading Mayor Eddie Morán shared his excitement for the project, stating, “A major turning point in our city's transition to a sustainable future is this innovative solar installation. It will not only result in significant cost savings but also get us closer to our objective of using entirely clean, renewable energy to power Reading. This program demonstrates our dedication to protecting the environment and ensuring our community's health for future generations.”
In addition to the solar installation, the $18 million ESPC includes work on building electrification, LED lighting, building maintenance, and weatherization projects across the city. With federal direct pay reimbursements, other funding opportunities, and operational savings, the project will only cost the city of Reading about $4.2 million during the 20-year performance period.
Encouraged by its first cohort experience, Reading joined a second cohort in July 2024 focused on designing and enhancing energy efficiency programs for residential buildings. Reading also received specific assistance on modeling technology and efficiency upgrades in older, residential row homes through C2C’s Expert Match offering, which provides 40–60 hours of technical assistance to address near-term clean energy challenges and questions. This support focused on finding ways to increase comfort for residents on warm days and nights while also reducing energy consumption and demonstrated how adding window films, awnings, and additional fans could improve comfort without breaking the bank. With this data, Reading is now better equipped to make informed decisions on residential decarbonization programs for its residents.
“It was nice to see through the cohort that help is always there when you need it, and it’s always a good idea to reach out to other communities,” Ayers-Fisher said.
Apply To Join C2C Peer-Learning Cohorts
C2C connects local governments, Tribes, community-based groups, utilities, and other organizations with national laboratory experts to close the gaps between communities' clean energy ambitions and real-world deployment. The technical assistance offered through C2C can offer meaningful insights around clean energy decision-making to help communities achieve resilient clean energy systems that embody local and regional priorities.
Peer-learning cohorts are one offering of the C2C program. Cohorts of approximately 15 communities convene regularly for approximately six months to exchange strategies and best practices, learn in a collaborative environment, and workshop policy or program proposals, action plans, or strategies to overcome challenges around a common clean energy transition topic.
The application period for C2C peer-learning cohorts is now open. Apply by Oct. 31 to join a peer-learning cohort on one of the following topics:
- Planning for Microgrids To Increase Energy Resilience
- Expanding Capacity for Distributed Wind in Rural and Agricultural Communities
- Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Improvements in Appalachia.
Sign up for email updates about C2C, and learn more about peer-learning cohorts.