Akron, Columbus, Toledo Offer New Solar Arrays:Why Not Youngstown?

[irishbobcat]

Sad to say that we seem to trail all cities and all parts of the state. No wonder we are last to get on the boat, train, and ball.

Dennis Spisak
Mahoning Valley Greens
Ohio Green Party

[jay]

It sure would be great if we had at least one  member of council who promoted solar energy and other forms of alternative energy for our city.

[irishbobcat]

Akron, Columbus, Toledo Offer New Solar Arrays:

The recently completed Akron Metro bus transfer station solar unit by Third Sun is 130 kw - largest roof-top mounted system in Ohio in first article below.  In second article, Ameresco is approved for a large system also on a Franklin County building in downtown Columbus.  The City of Toledo has also just approved a solar unit in the third story below.

- Bill Spratley

New Akron transit center unveiled
By Bill Lilley
Akron Beacon Journal
January 5, 2008


The new restrooms are pristine and feature recycled water as part of a green-friendly campaign.

The technology with geothermal heating and cooling and solar panels that generate enough energy to power 130 homes in Akron is downright dazzling.

But Akron Mayor Don Plusquellic looked past the glitz and glitter at this morning's ribbon-cutting ceremony and quickly cited what he considers the most important feature of the soon-to-open Metro Regional Transit Authority's new Intermodal Transit Center on South Broadway.

''The safety that this new building will provide is paramount,'' Plusquellic said. ''There have been several times that I've been driving down Main Street, doing the speed limit during busy times, and I've almost hit a bus rider because they were darting between the buses because they had to catch their connecting bus in 30 seconds.

''It has simply been a dangerous situation for a long time at the transfer station on Main Street. I simply can't imagine how I or anybody else would feel if they hit somebody with their car.''

The mayor said the new facility will also enhance the riders' experience.

''The restrooms are fabulous,'' he said. ''And the other amenities are wonderful. I just wish [they] had this kind of facility when I was riding the bus from Kenmore to downtown to shop or work out at the Y[MCA] when I was a kid 45 years ago.''

The building also will feature an Akron Police Department substation that will have two police officers during all hours the transfer station is in operation once it opens Jan. 18. There are also more than 90 security cameras.

METRO Planning Director Kirt Conrad said he expects the amenities offered at the new $17 million, 14,000-square- foot facility to help push ridership from its current level of 6 million per year to as many as 7.5 million.

Conrad said METRO officials expect nearly 4,000 riders along with 600 Greyhound long-trip riders to use the Intermodal Transit Center each weekday.

Conrad also is proud of the facility's moves to protect the environment and provide long-term savings on operating costs.

The 432 solar panels and installation cost $900,000. Conrad said the electricity generated by the solar panels will render nearly a one-third savings and the project will pay for itself in 10 years.

The 45 geothermal wells that each are sunk 305 feet into the earth will provide all the heating and air conditioning the facility needs.

''We wanted to make a statement of public transportation and modern technology to everyone,'' Conrad said, ''and I think we did.

''It's a beautiful facility that will improve our ability to serve greatly in three key areas — safety, dependability and level of information. It's just too bad you can't see the incredible technology from the streets because the solar panels are on the roof and the geothermal wells are in the ground.''

METRO Executive Director Bob Pfaff added that officials of various transportation and governmental levels are hopeful that someday Amtrak will return service to Akron and the Intermodal Transit Center, which took nearly a decade to go from conception to reality, will be a key component of that addition.

County goes 'green' at old buildings
Friday,  January 16, 2009 2:53 AM
By Barbara Carmen

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
The roof on the Franklin County Courthouse Annex is leaky. But the new surface won't just block out moisture, it will soak it up and bloom.

Commissioners are to approve a plan Tuesday to spend $25.5 million within the next 16 months to retrofit their five buildings at Fulton and High streets with environmentally friendly technology. Most of the work will be done by late spring 2010.

The improvements would pay off over 20 years with

$48 million in savings, commissioners estimate. The work includes replacing a hodgepodge of cranky air-conditioning systems with a unified loop of pipe that runs through all buildings, improving energy efficiency and eliminating the need to stockpile different repair parts.

They'll put solar panels on the roof of the Job and Family Services building, 80 E. Fulton St., and hook it into the county power grid.

And they'll spring for a rooftop garden atop the old annex, 410 S. High St., where the sheriff has offices.

"There's no pruning, clipping or mowing," promised Paul R. Angersbach, a sales executive with Johnson Controls.

Those crossing an overhead walkway, which connects a county parking garage with the Municipal Court Building at 375 S. High St., will be able to gaze upon the greenery.

Angersbach said the annex needs re-roofing, so commissioners seized the opportunity to reseal the building and add plants. "This will extract water when it rains and ... reduces the county's carbon footprint," he said.

Commissioners will sign two contracts: one for $17.7 million with Johnson Controls, and another for

$7.8 million with Ameresco to install the solar panels, replace old lights with energy-efficient fixtures and install water-saving toilets and sinks.

The contractors also will caulk, seal and install weather stripping and door sweeps.

And they'll teach employees what parents preach: Turn out the lights when you leave the room. Employees will attend training sessions to learn ways to conserve energy -- and money.

"It's unplugging items you don't need," Commissioner Paula Brooks said. "Use a cup for water instead of bottled water. Bring a Thermos for your office coffee instead of having a coffee-maker on.

"It's about money, it's about energy independence, and it's about good fiscal responsibility. "

Commissioner Marilyn Brown said they're aiming to change employees' behavior, so that these habits will follow them home and spread throughout the community.

"It's a great opportunity to lead the way in this county," Brown said.

Plans to make older buildings energy-snug have been in the works for several months after the Ohio House passed bills allowing counties to invest in energy-efficient technologies with long paybacks.

This investment opportunity came at a fortuitous time, commissioners said. The county is building a new Common Pleas Courthouse, which will be tied into the new cooling system. And it plans new corridors and entrances to unify the hodgepodge of buildings into a justice campus.

The Toledo Blade

Toledo City Council OKs $65,000 for solar project

Toledo City Council agreed last night to a smaller investment toward engineering and designing a municipal solar field - a $5 million project submitted as part of the city's wish list for President Barack Obama's economic stimulus plan.

Council voted 11-0 to authorize the Finkbeiner administration to spend $65,000 from Toledo's 2009 capital improvement budget to design and engineer the project. Councilman Michael Ashford was not present.

Councilman Joe McNamara wanted council to dedicate up to $200,000 for the solar field at the capped Dura landfill. The measure was revised to eliminate a specific site and reduce the funding.

"The administration was willing to support it if it was moved to the [city's] water treatment plant," Mr. McNamara said.

That location would be more secure and the power generated by the solar field could be used to power the water treatment facility, he said.

"We are creating an environment in which we can create jobs," Councilman Lindsay Webb said.

Toledo mayoral candidate Keith Wilkowski proposed in September that $5 million be spent to put solar panels at the former Dura landfill to generate electricity for the city and bolster northwest Ohio's developing solar-energy industry.

Todd Michaelsen, the Ohio/Michigan chapter manager for the National Electrical Contractors Association, told council last week that the solar field would pay for itself through energy savings in 15 years.
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Dennis Spisak
Mahoning Valley Greens
Ohio Green Party

www.ohiogrens.org
www.votespisak.org/thinkgreen/