Center Sets Sights On Solar Power

The center, located in Chapel Hill, will be outfitted with energy-creating solar roofs to cut the use of natural resources like fossil fuel.

The center will be participating in the Million Solar Roofs Initiative, which will help install a new roof as part of a statewide effort to develop new solar energy systems. Solar roof panels will be used instead of fossil fuel to gather electricity and to heat water.

"The sun shines on the panels and energy from the sun transfers and directly heats the water that you're going to use," said Peter Dreyfuss, National Coordinator of the Million Solar Roof Initiative.

The town of Chapel Hill agreed to build one of the solar systems on the Hargraves Recreation Center, which will be funded by a grant. Officials say they expect the project to be finished within a month. Bill Terry, internal services superintendent, said the Hargraves Center was chosen based on three criteria, which recreation officials said the building meets. "The building has to face in the right direction, due south," he said. "The second criteria is that it has to have a slanted roof. A slanted roof is the best angle to collect solar energy."

Third, Terry noted, the roof can be no older than two years old or efficiency decreases.

N.C. officials also have agreed to allow solar energy systems to be installed across the state. James E. Rannels from the Director's Office of Solar Energy Technologies said the program has been well received so far.

"We have looked and solicited partners for the program who are committed to doing this goal," Rannels said. "We have 50 partners accounting for more than a million solar systems. We have partners working with us also committed to working for this goal."

State officials are coordinating to create four local partnerships in Orange, Durham, Guilford and Watauga counties.

Committees from these four counties will come together to raise public awareness and to focus on policy issues.

"We are trying to get together a steering committee to achieve this goal," said Phil Hervey, long-range planner for Chapel Hill.

These committees have yet to be appointed, but efforts are being made to establish them. The N.C. Solar Center at N.C. State University has become involved in the program by working to increase public awareness and training professionals to install the equipment.

"We work with state governments who have a lot of money for solar energy and find ways to make them more effective," Dreyfuss said.

Other local efforts have been made to conserve energy. Chapel Hill Town Council member Joyce Brown said the council has played a substantial role in promoting solar energy systems.

"We have, over the past eight years or so, converted most of the lights in the town buildings (to energy efficient lights)," she said. "The new fire station will have to meet new ordinances. Buildings must use energy ordinances."

Community involvement in the Million Solar Roofs Initiative is being stressed by all of the people involved in the program. "We need to look seriously at our energy sources," Brown said.

"This is an opportunity to recognize this publicly and to work towards changing our energy sources."

The City Editor can be reached

at citydesk@unc.edu.