This is a mock proposal. The content is for educational and professional development purposes only.

This purpose of this proposal is to persuade the city of Redlands, California to install solar panels on municipal buildings, such as the Redlands City Hall. This investment will benefit the Redlands community and the surrounding ecosystem by increasing energy resiliency and decreasing the city’s carbon footprint. As members of the community and of a warming planet, we want to improve our city’s access to sustainable, clean energy. We urge Redlands leadership to take this action in the face of economic, environmental, and political instability.

Current state of power and resiliency in Redlands

Redlands, California residents pay 24% more than the national average for electricity. One reason is the area’s hot climate. The hottest month of the year in Redlands, August, averages 95°F. Hot temperatures drive residents and city staff to spend more money on interior cooling systems.

Not only are these systems costly; they are environmentally destructive. Today, cooling contributes seven per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions. Experts in the field expect this number to double by 2030 and triple by 2050. Cooling systems drive a negative feedback loop. As communities continue to depend on their traditional cooling systems, they continue to pollute. The more they pollute, the more they destabilize the climate. As the climate is further disrupted, temperatures rise to higher and higher degrees, which increases a community’s cooling system dependence.

Redlands’ energy sources for powering those cooling systems compound the problem. Roughly 43% of Redlands’s energy comes from natural gas. Natural gas is a major greenhouse gas emission source. It can also be unreliable in emergencies. Like other Southern Californian cities, Redlands is under constant threat of powerful earthquakes from the San Andreas fault. A recent USGS report suggests a 93% likelihood of one or more 6.7 magnitude earthquakes in the next 30 years. Over this same time span, the report suggests a 75% likelihood of one or more seven magnitude earthquakes. These massive earthquakes can potentially disrupt power supply to entire communities. Communities that are not ready may have trouble restoring power, which can cause major property damage and safety risks. The city’s solar energy production, 31% of total production, is not far behind. Still, Redlands must keep improving until greenhouse gas emitting energy sources are not the plurality.

Redlands must invest in new solutions to improve the city’s environmental position. Our solution is for the city to lead the charge by installing solar panels on municipal buildings, such as Redlands City Hall.

Project plan to install solar panels on Redlands City Hall

With this proposal, we ask the Redlands city leadership to commit to its sustainability plans, as laid out in the City of Redlands Strategic Plan for 2022 to 2028.

The city can do so in three steps:

Part 1: Assess City Hall’s readiness for solar panels

To assess City Hall’s readiness for solar panels, the city must answer the following questions:

  • Is the roof flat or angled?
  • Is the roof shaded or obstructed?
  • Can the solar panels extend over other areas of the property, such as parking lots or an adjacent land lot?

By addressing these questions, the city can prepare project budgets and schedules.

Part 2: Install solar panels

With these preparations in place, the city can plan the installation. Many companies in Southern California can help, including:

  • Solar Optimum: Solar Optimum was the 2024 Installer of the Year, according to EnergySage. Established in 2008, they continue to lead the solar industry across California, Nevada, Arizona, and Florida.
  • NRG Clean Power: NRG Clean Power is the leading solar installer in California and Texas. Two of their core tenets about electricity are that it should be renewable and affordable.
  • IntegrateSun, LLC: IntegrateSun installs the same technology that NASA uses for their space stations.

City leadership must assess providers, estimated costs, and projected timelines. The city can request quotes from the above providers to compare options. Include any findings from the initial assessment in the quote request.

Part 3: Inspect the installation for safety and quality

An independent party must inspect newly installed solar panels. The inspector looks for:

  • Safety issues.
  • Potential shorts in the wiring.
  • The physical structure to confirm the panels will survive environmental conditions.

This inspection ensures the installation is complete and safe.

Costs and benefits of installing solar panels

It is important to understand the total costs of installing solar panels. In Redlands, the average solar panel installation costs roughly $14,000, after federal incentives. Another cost is installation time. Installing solar panels can take between two and six months between

  • Finding the right solar company
  • Drafting and approving contracts
  • Physically installing panels
  • Completing comprehensive inspections

Furthermore, Redlands City Hall’s flat roof can increase the installation costs. These costs are significant, but so are the benefits the city will enjoy.

These benefits include:

  • Solar panels in Southern California, on average, pay for themselves in five years.
  • In the event of an earthquake, Redlands City Hall can continue operating and aiding the community.
  • Increasing green energy’s percentage of energy generation means less greenhouse gases and a healthier environment.

By approving this proposal, you will not only improve Redlands’s energy portfolio; you will also decrease Redlands’s carbon footprint. As our carbon footprint becomes more critical to consider, these kinds of proposed initiatives become more important. Redlands owes it to its community to lead the way in green energy initiatives.

Thank you for considering this proposal. We are looking forward to discussing the matter further and are awaiting your decision.