April 03, 2008
Bowling
Green, Ky. - On Friday, April 11, the WKU campus and community of Bowling Green are invited to an Open House at the WKU ALIVE Center for Community Partnerships (1818 31-W Bypass) to celebrate and view its new solar energy community demonstration project. This installation is the first BGMU/TVA small commercial grid-intertied ‘Generation Partners’ solar photovoltaic (PV) system and is a sunny milestone for our community. Opening remarks will be made by WKU President Gary Ransdell. Steve Peek from BGMU, WKU Provost Dr. Barbara Burch, and BGGreen Co-Chair Nancy Givens will also make brief remarks.
The lead installers Josh Bills and Phillip Martin, of Sunbelievable Services in Berea, KY, will be present to do a tour of the installation and answer questions. Refreshments and informational materials on solar energy will also be available. Service One Credit Union will also unveil its plans for a major green expansion, which will include solar energy, natural lighting, a green roof, recycling of “gray” water, permeable pavement, and more, during the Open House.
The installation was successfully completed on January 30, 2008. It is a collaborative project of WKU, BGGreen Partnership for a Sustainable Community, Bowling Green Municipal Utilities (BGMU,) Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA,) and Sunbelievable Services of Berea, KY. The panels were supplied by Dr. Kaveh Khatir, in Architect and Manufacturing Sciences at WKU, from a previous installation. Funds for the installation were provided by the Dean’s Office of WKUs Ogden College of Science and Engineering. The chief installer was Joshua Bills, owner and operator of Sunbelievable Services and co-author of The Kentucky Solar Energy Guide.
U.S. citizens are concerned about rising energy prices, our country’s dependence on foreign fuels, and the environmental impacts of fossil fuel energy sources. Solar energy can play an important part as we transition away from fossil fuels toward renewable energy resources. Yet, while its use is growing rapidly around the world, solar energy remains an under-utilized resource here in Kentucky. This demonstration project was created to show the community of Bowling Green what a solar installation looks like and how it performs, and that solar energy is a viable resource right here at home.
The TVA ‘Generation Partners’ program provides support and incentives for the installation of solar, wind, and biofuel generating facilities. It makes the electricity produced available for purchase by ‘Green Power Switch’ subscribers who wish to support greater use of renewable energy sources. It also creates a market for small-scale green power generation and helps to fund the upfront costs for installation, by homeowners and small businesses.
“The world’s leading scientists believe we must reduce our carbon emissions by 80% by
mid-century...Solar and other renewable energy sources, along with energy efficiency and conservation, will the foundation for addressing the crisis of climate change,” says Andy McDonald, Kentucky Solar Partnership Coordinator, who has been working with solar energy and sustainable development for nearly 15 years.
Under the ‘Generation Partners’ program, TVA purchases 100 percent of green power output at a rate of 15 cents per kilowatt-hour; this is almost double what the consumer pays to TVA to purchase electricity. Residential users may qualify for an additional $500 incentive to help offset start-up costs. This program supports the environment by cutting fossil fuel emissions and also helps Partners to help themselves by defraying investment costs and lowering their monthly energy bills through the revenue they receive from the sale of green power. For more information on TVAs green power program go to http://www.tva.gov/greenpowerswitch/partners/index.htm.
For more information about the WKU ALIVE Center solar community demonstration project contact Cheryl Kirby-Stokes , Cheryl.kirby-stokes@wku.edu, 782-0082 or Nancy Givens, BGGreen Partnership for a Sustainable Community, nancy.givens@wku.edu, 745-6507.
-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