NORFOLK, Va — The City of Norfolk is going green, installing solar panels on a few facilities around town. The first two buildings to get the upgrade are fire stations 2 and 12.
“We’re really trying to create a cleaner, greener environment for our community, our residents now,” said Megan Hale, Environmental Sustainability Manager with the City of Norfolk. "But more important for future generations to come."
City representatives are using what's called a power purchase agreement for this initiative. Basically, the city engages in a deal where they don't pay upfront costs or for maintenance, but they do receive reduced amounts of energy savings on the bill. The customer, in this case the
city, purchases that electric output for a predetermined period.
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“We don’t own the panels ourselves, we’re simply allowing the space on top of our fire station to be soaking up that solar energy," Hale said.
The initiative is led by the Department of General Services' Environmental Sustainability Division, with help from Dominion Energy Solutions and Solar Energy Solutions.
“We have known for decades now that we are running out of time and we need to be acting yesterday," said Victoria Dunch with the Elizabeth River Project.
Dunch applauds leaders for this idea, as she thinks every step towards net zero carbon emissions is a good step. The more solar panels installed on buildings, the less carbon dioxide released into our atmosphere.
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“Anything that is not burning fossil fuels is a massive win," Dunch said.
But not only is it helping the environment, it's also helping pocketbooks. The city will not pay as much for electricity in these locations.
“If you have them on your roof for twenty years they’re going to pay for themselves so it’s an investment," Dunch told News 3.
These two stations are just the beginning. The Department of General Services is already looking at local libraries and community centers as the next targets.
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“When we’re looking at solar we’re ensuring that the roof is newer, so ten years or younger, and that it’s a south-facing roof," Hale said.
"So it can really absorb as much of that solar energy throughout the year that it can."
If residents would like to learn more about solar, you can click here.
Also, if you are a homeowner or a business owner and want to lend a hand to Mother Nature, the Elizabeth River Project will be hosting two solar panel workshops. The first will be on May 11, and the second will be on June 12.
