Salina officially flips the switch on Kenwood Cove Aquatic Park solar array

• Salina unveils a new solar array at Kenwood Cove aquatic park.
• The $7.5 million project includes the array and other energy-efficient upgrades.
• The solar array is expected to save the city almost $50,000 annually in energy costs.
• The project is part of a partnership between the city and Schneider Electric.

The power of the sun is now on at Kenwood Cove Aquatic Park in Salina after the city unveiled the completion of a solar array.

Around noon on May 30, and just before officially opening for public swimming this season, city staff including dozens of lifeguards, gathered by the array, installed just north of the park.

After a few words from interim city manager Jacob Wood and Peter Hinkle, of Schneider, the two men flipped a ceremonial switch to officially turn on the array.

What kind of power will come from this solar array?

Wood said the city has been working with Schneider Electric for the past several years, finding ways to increase energy efficiency for city property.

This $7.5 million project included such things as upgraded HVAC systems, more efficient lighting and more, with this solar array being one of the more visible parts of the project.

Hinkle said this array alone accounts for almost $50,000 of savings a year in energy costs for the city, with it and other energy conservation measures generating more than 118,000 kilowatt hours.

“In total, it was about $280,000 a year in annual savings that we’re able to use and then reinvest back into the community,” he said.

Hinkle said the panels installed at Kenwood Cove are expected to last 30 to 40 years, generating electricity for the city of Salina, cementing the partnership with Schneider Electric for years to come.

“We hope that this will be a long-term relationship where we have other solar projects and other things that happen within the city,” Wood said.