Seven large Photovoltaic (PV) solar trackers were installed at the Athens-Clarke County Library in February and were dedicated in a ceremony on April 2, 2025. Funding for the project from the Athens-Clarke County Unified Government (ACCGov) came from SPLOST 2011 Project 23 - Energy Sustainability Program and SPLOST 2020 Project 11 - Renewable Energy, which provided matching funds for an additional $140,000 grant from the library system.  

Georgia Power tested the system and turned it on for use as of May 20, 2025. The trackers provide electricity for the library as well as for a newly installed publicly available Level 3 Electric Vehicle (EV) charger.   

“Installing solar at the library brings together two exceptional community assets,” says Athens-Clarke County Sustainability Department Director Mike Wharton, who helped coordinate the project. “A place to learn while helping to create a cleaner environment in which to do so.” 

The library site was selected because of its high energy usage and because the facility has long occupancy hours every day of the week. This aligns energy use in the afternoons with times when the solar power system is highly productive. 

Installation of the solar trackers is a step towards the ACCGov’s commitment to supply 100% of its energy needs from clean and renewable sources by 2035. The system will provide around 20% of the library’s energy consumption, which is equivalent to 267 megawatt hours of energy per year. This is approximately the same amount of energy that 27 homes would use in a year.  

The trackers are guided by sensors to actively follow sunlight and optimize the efficiency of the panels. The only times when the panels should be flat and parallel to the ground is at night, around noon, and during high winds. 

While the project did require the removal of eight trees, Athens-Clarke County Central Services’ Landscape Management staff selected invasive trees to remove that either had growth and health issues or were likely to have such issues in the future. After completion of the project, native shrubs and flowers were planted below the panels and 10 native trees were planted elsewhere on the property.   

For more information on ACCGov’s Clean and Renewable Energy goals, visit www.accgov.com/green or call 706-613-3838. For more information on SPLOST 2020, visit www.accgov.com/splost or call 706-613-3025.