Library Gets Two Donations for Solar Panels      

Crawfordsville District Public Library will begin enjoying savings on next year’s electric bills, thanks to the generosity of two donors.

John Smillie of Crawfordsville and ENGIE North America have given $12,500 each to the library for the installation of solar panel arrays on its south-facing roof. The installation will include twenty-one panels that will produce 15.8 MWh annually. The total cost of the project is $41,500.

The project began when John Smillie approached CDPL Board Trustee Josh Brewer about the possibility of installing solar panels. Smillie attended the next board meeting to explain the limited timeline for associated tax credits and pledged $12,500 toward the project.

John Smillie has been the driving force in previous community-based solar projects in Montgomery County at the Youth Service Bureau, the Boys and Girls Club and the Free Clinic. He also purchased LED bulbs for the Carnegie Museum.

Smillie next approached Tom Schoder at ENGIE North America about the project and the need for additional funding for the panels; ENGIE North America agreed to match his donation.

“ENGIE North America is honored to support the Crawfordsville District Public Library, which is such a vital resource to the broader community,” says Tom Schoder, Project Developer, ENGIE North America. “The solar installation will advance the library’s educational and service-oriented mission and reduce the library’s energy costs, freeing up funds that can be reinvested into the library for the benefit of individuals and families for years to come.”

In the United States, ENGIE North America is a leading developer and operator of renewable energy and storage, with over 11 GW in operation or under construction – part of a global portfolio that makes ENGIE one of the world’s largest clean energy companies. ENGIE also has a 200 MW solar project in development in Montgomery County.

“We are so appreciative of the generosity and initiative of John and the folks at ENGIE,” Library Director Theresa Tyner said. “Not only will this project benefit the library in lower energy costs, but it will add another strategy in which the library tries to reduce its environmental impact, alongside holding book sales, recycling, carefully calibrating our HVAC settings and performance, and replacing fluorescent bulbs with LED bulbs.”

The remainder of the cost of the panels and their installation will be covered by tax credits available to the library. Government entities are able to receive a direct pay tax credit of 30 percent of the cost of solar panel installation as long as it is begun and completed within the required time period. Crawfordsville is considered an energy community, so the library will be eligible for an additional 10 percent tax credit.

The library board approved the project at its October board meeting.

The solar panels will be installed by Huston Solar, a division of Huston Electric, which is headquartered in Lafayette. The installation is projected to be finished by the end of May.