Energy News

Charlotte—Combine the planet’s original energy source—the sun—with a simple, age-old technology, and you get reduced energy costs and less global warming pollution.  That’s the calculation Mecklenburg County is making.

Commissioner Jennifer Roberts and other county leaders say Mecklenburg facilities could save big on energy costs and displace 565 metric tons of global warming pollution each year with the installation of 186 solar hot water systems.

“It is clear that renewables are on the forefront in technological innovation, creative solutions, scientific advancement and job creation," said Roberts.

Central Piedmont Community College not only plans to install solar hot water systems at its central campus; it also has a degree program to train workers in green technologies.

“CPCC is proud to be included in the county’s proposal,” said Ernie McLaney, coordinator for the Center for Sustainability at CPCC. “As the solar industry grows, more skilled professionals in this field will be needed. Our Sustainability Technologies degree program is prepared to train tomorrow’s workforce and lead Charlotte and Mecklenburg County toward a more sustainable future.”

The county’s planned investments are made possible by President Obama’s economic recovery package, which allocated $134 million to North Carolina cities and counties, including roughly $650,000 to Mecklenburg, for clean energy and energy efficiency investments.

Clean energy advocates highlighted the county’s plans because of solar power’s environmental and economic benefits.  Solar energy saves money over the long term and stimulates job growth.  The NC Utilities Commission’s own study shows that solar power creates three times as many jobs as coal power.

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“Second only to energy efficiency,” said Elizabeth Ouzts, State Director of Environment North Carolina,  “solar energy is the cheapest, quickest path to reducing our dependence on fossil fuels and avoiding the most dangerous impacts of global warming.”

Solar hot water—a technology dating back to the 1800’s—uses energy from the sun to heat water in collectors on rooftops.  Highly efficient, collectors can absorb up to 87 percent of the sun’s energy.  Heated liquid in the collectors is pumped to storage tanks, reducing or eliminating the need for electricity or natural gas.

Cities and counties may also use funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to invest in solar photovoltaic panels, solar LED lighting, and a range of other energy efficiency measures.  Plans from 32 municipalities and counties are due today. 

Heidi Pruess, Mecklenburg Environmental Policy Administrator, urged individuals and businesses to follow the county’s lead. 

“The county's energy reduction goals strive to demonstrate true leadership through implementation of innovative and voluntary business practices that the rest of the community can learn from and adopt," she said.

Environment North Carolina’s report, Recovering with Solar, offers a glimpse of how cities and counties around the state plan to use the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program to invest in solar technologies.  The report also highlights plans from Cary, Fayetteville, Durham, and Greensboro.  For a full copy of the report, visit www.EnvironmentNorthCarolina.org

Advocates said that more policies, such as solar investment tax credits and creative financing mechanisms, are needed to boost solar power production in the state.

“With virtually unlimited potential for solar power, the planet in peril, and the economy in trouble, North Carolina can and should do much, much more to promote solar energy,” Ouzts said.