Lend Lease, State Land Board Explore Renewable Energy

Installation of solar measurement system to determine power potential

Jim Augustyn, President, Augustyn & Co. and Afshin Andreas, Scientist II, National Renewable Energy Laboratory install rotating shadowband radiometer to determine solar resources available to supply power at the Lowry Range.

Photo courtesy of Lend Lease Communities

The Lowry Range, a planned mixed-use development southeast of the Denver metro area, may be the first, large-scale Colorado community to use solar as a power source, if solar research data supports the concept.

Lend Lease Communities and the Colorado State Land Board installed a measurement device on May 30, to determine the solar resources available to supply power at the Lowry Range.

A rotating shadowband radiometer was installed to take solar readings and collect data over the next 12 to 24 months. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory and the Governor’s Energy Office will work with Lend Lease and the SLB to interpret the data and consult on appropriate solar development opportunities for the Lowry Range.

Lend Lease and the SLB are working together to develop a sustainable master-planned community on 3,870 acres within the 26,000-acre Lowry Range parcel that is held in trust by the SLB for the benefit of Colorado’s K-12 public schools. This development project is anticipated to contribute more than $330 million to the State’s School Trust over the 20-year life of the project.

Solar is one of several renewable energy sources being explored for use at Lowry Range. Once complete, the community will include approximately 13,000 energy-efficient residential housing units, 195 acres of commercial and retail space, 1,100 acres of conservation, parks, open space and trails and will be adjacent to 17,000 acres of conservation land.

“This is an exciting project because it allows Lend Lease to leverage its background and expertise in building communities and real estate projects that are energy-efficient and rely on clean energy technologies for a portion of their energy needs,” said Jeff Apitz, Lowry Range project director. “For example, our sister company, Actus Lend Lease, is currently developing the world’s largest solar powered community at the Army Hawaii Family Housing complex. Their system will generate up to 6.0 mw of renewable electricity, enough to supply 30% of the community’s energy needs.

“By learning more about the solar potential at Lowry Range, we can determine whether solar energy is an effective solution that can be successfully incorporated into the community’s sustainability plan,” he added.

If data from the measurement system indicates Lowry Range is a good location for solar development, the SLB will work with Lend Lease and NREL to determine the next steps for engaging with industry experts for a large-scale solar power facility. The SLB has been working with GEO and others within the industry to explore opportunities for development of renewable energy on SLB lands in order to create additional revenue.

“It’s long been our mission at the State Land Board to manage the land in our trust in a way that diversifies its uses and creates reasonable and consistent income over time,” said John Brejcha, acting-director of the State Land Board. “We look forward to learning more about whether Lowry Range can indeed support a solar power facility and can help us continue to move forward in fulfilling this vision.”

According to NREL, the Lowry Range solar measurement station is one of five in Colorado to explore solar energy development on a large-scale basis, and it is the first example in Colorado of a real estate developer working in collaboration with state and federal entities to look at solar as a major energy source for a community the size of Lowry Range.