September 28, 2007
Bowling
Green, Ky. - Local residents will join some 100,000 people across the U.S. in learning about solar and other renewable energy and energy efficiency during the 1st Annual Solar Tour, a part of the 12th annual American Solar Energy Society’s National Solar Tour. The event will take place on Saturday, October 6, 2007.
Amid rising energy costs and concerns about climate change, the Local/National Solar Tour invites participants to see how people around the country are saving money on utility bills and protecting the environment by using clean sources of energy and reducing energy demand. This tour will provide information about solar and wind energy options, local and national installations, energy efficient design, costs and current tax incentives, and other available programs.
The local event is co-sponsored by BGGreen Partnership for a Sustainable Community, WKU ALIVE Center for Community Partnerships, Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), Gary Force Toyota, and Greentoppers Students for a Sustainable Campus, working in partnership with the American Solar Energy Society (ASES). The national event is the largest demonstration of installed renewable energy technologies and energy efficient buildings in the country.
“Bowling Green is showing a readiness to embrace solar energy. With Kentucky’s new energy bill's 25 by ’25 provision (25 percent from renewables by 2025) clean energy technologies and energy efficiency will play an increasingly large role in our energy future. Community members are invited to come to this event to learn about solar energy solutions being created across the U.S. that save money, reduce carbon emissions, promote energy independence, and create local job - and to see what is and will soon be available in our own community” says Nancy Givens, Chairperson of BGGreen Partnership for a Sustainable Community and coordinator for the event.
“Real Places for Real People,” is the theme of this year’s tour. Its purpose is to give viewers an opportunity to see, explore, and ask questions about real-world applications of renewable energy. This annual event has a powerful impact, too. A recent survey showed that a majority of the people who attend a tour go on to add sustainable energy technologies to their own homes or buildings. This year’s national tour will run in 46 states. A complete list of scheduled events may be found at www.NationalSolarTour.org <http://www.nationalsolartour.org/>.
The local tour will be self-guided. Maps and additional solar energy information may be picked up at the ALIVE Center, located at 1818 31-W Bypass, between the hours of 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. The ALIVE Center will also feature showings of a presentation on solar home installations around the country and /Kilowatt Ours: A Plan to Re-energize America/. Shows will begin at 11 a.m., 1 p.m., and 3 p.m. This event is free and open to the public.
Local tour highlights include:
· preview of Bowling Green’s first residential/small commercial photovoltaic grid-interconnected system through the BGMU/TVA
Generation Partners Program to be installed at ALIVE Center.
· slide show of solar installations and /Kilowatt Ours: A Plan to Re-energize America/ showings at the ALIVE Center (1818 US 31-W
· map to the TVA Lover’s Lane Soccer Complex solar array with performance information
· information on Dynastrosi Corporation located at the WKU Innovation and Commercialization Center, a local center of wind energy innovation
· a hybrid car, the Prius, will also be on display.
Renewable energy technologies can have a profound and positive effect on the environment. According to recent U.S. EPA figures, residential and commercial buildings generate approximately 40% of U.S. greenhouse gas (CO_2 ) emissions. That’s more than transportation or manufacturing. /(Source: United States Environmental Protection Agency inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas emissions, April 2007)./ There’s a significant trend toward reducing this carbon footprint, that will continue as national and international pressures to take action to control climate change increase.
*About **BG Green Partnership for a Sustainable Community*
BGGreen Partnership is a diverse network of citizens who seek to build a more sustainable community in Bowling Green and the region. We have four goals: environmental stewardship, economic prosperity, social equity, and citizen empowerment. We support these goals through community education, outreach, and action. www.wku.edu/bggreen/ <http://www.wku.edu/bggreen/>
*About the ALIVE Center for Community Partnerships*
The WKU ALIVE Center for Community Partnerships promotes community development across Central Kentucky through campus and community partnerships, and through volunteerism, information and referrals. www.alivebg.org <http://www.alivebg.org/>
* *
*About the American Solar Energy Society
*The American Solar Energy Society (ASES) is the nation’s largest and oldest nonprofit dedicated to creating a sustainable U.S. energy economy. ASES develops leading programs that increase the use of renewable energy and energy efficiency across the nation. www.ases.org <http://www.ases.org/>
Contact: /Nancy Givens, 745-6508, 303-8468 (cell)/
-WKU-
"A leading American university with international reach"
Office of Media Relations
Western Kentucky University
1906 College Heights Blvd., Bowling Green, Ky. 42101-3576
Phone: (270)745-4295 - Fax: (270)7455387 - E-Mail: western@wku.edu