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SOUTH SALT LAKE -- South Salt Lake City Wednesday amped up its commitment to renewable energy. It showed off a new solar project that generates power and shows people in the community how well it works.
The solar power project blends the old with the new. Wednesday morning the mayor flipped the lever on the system which should provide about half the energy demands of the 100-year-old Columbus Center.
- Less impact on the environment than non-renewable sources
- Lower levels of air pollutants and wastewater
- Reduced greenhouse gas emissions
- Reduced reliance on imported and domestic fossil fuels
- Boost to local economies through job creation and investments in local renewable energy projects
Thirty-nine solar panels on the roof of the gymnasium now generate power for the community center. A $65,000 grant from the Rocky Mountain Power Blue Sky Program paid for the system.
The mayor says it can generate enough electricity to power two to three homes on a typical day. Additional federal stimulus money enables the city to add more than 100 additional panels soon. That expansion should help the city achieve its goal of generating half the power for the building with renewable energy.
The new power source helps with education, too. A large monitor in the lobby displays real time data of how much power the system is generating.
The power company says the Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency rank the Blue Sky program as one of the best in the country.
"We're always in the top five and have been for the last seven years for the level of participation, and the amount of renewable credits we buy through the program," said Richard Walje, Rocky Mountain Power President.
Thirty-one-thousand Utahns contribute to the Blue Sky program on their power bills to make projects like this one a reality. Rocky Mountain Power is also the second-largest owner and operator of wind turbines in the country.
Kids from the community will get a chance to learn more about solar power, too. They'll come by and check out the monitor as part of their after school programs.
The system will also demonstrate how solar power might work in other buildings.
Rocky Mountain Power selected this project from among many proposals.
E-mail: jboal@ksl.com
