July 2016

Renewable Energy

What I Learned Installing Solar Panels

By Julian Spector, City Lab

Over the past year, I’ve written about barriers to accessing solar power, states thwarting solar growth, and the boom in solar jobs, but I’d never witnessed the physical labor needed to start drawing energy from the sun.

To remedy this, I tagged along with a nonprofit that was installing solar on the roof of a house near Benning Road in Southeast Washington, D.C. this May. I came as both observer and participant. This proved a lot more exciting than sitting at a desk all day, but the most surprising thing was just how uncomplicated the process is.

Read more on a man's experience with solar panel installation here...

Green Communities Spotlight

Household Hazardous Waste Disposal Program

(Green Communities Measure #16)

F. Wayne Hill Water Resources Center

Renewable energy technologies are one of the best ways to lessen fossil fuel use and reduce atmospheric greenhouse gases.  Renewable energy is defined as energy derived from sources that do not deplete natural resources.  Some examples of are solar, wind, methane capture and biomass fuels. Green Communities Measure #16 grants points to local governments that own and operate a renewable energy project on local government property.

Gwinnett County’s F. Wayne Hill Water Resources Center is a leader in sustainable water treatment plant technology and has been recognized by the US Department of Energy. The plant’s “Gas To Energy” project  turns gases from digesting biosolids, fats, oils, greases, and other industrial wastes into energy.  This system generates a little over two megawatts of power and recovers more than seven million BTUs of heat to be used in the water treatment process. When operating at its peak capacity, this project can reduce the facility’s energy bill by $1 million a year and generate additional annual revenue of $800,000.  Most importantly, this project eliminates up to 15,500 metric tons of CO2 equivalent of greenhouse gases per year and prevents pipe-damaging fats, oils and grease from being dumped into the sewer system.

Data from the US Energy Department

Make it Personal

How to prepare your home for a renewable energy system

• Analyze your electricity loads – Calculating your electricity needs is the first step in the process of investigating renewable energy systems for your home or small business.
• Learn local codes and requirements – Each state and community has its own set of codes and regulations that you will need to follow to add a small renewable energy system to your home or small business.
• Select a grid connected or stand-alone system – Some people connect their systems to the grid and use them to reduce the amount of conventional power supplied to them. Other people, especially those in remote areas, use electricity from their systems in place of electricity supplied to them by power providers.

Read more details on how to prepare your home for a renewable energy system here…

Sustainability News Clips

Green News from Near and Far

How Atlanta based Boys and Girls Clubs became tops in energy efficiency

High tech lights give metro firms a jolt

How does living next to a MARTA stop impact your home price?

Atlanta joins Rockefeller Foundation list of "Resilient" Cities

These are Atlanta's 5 greenest companies

Decatur becomes the first Bee City USA in Georgia

Atlanta launches bike share program

Kendeda Fund helping green Grady Hospital

Georgia Tech professor is helping cities cool down

Solarize Athens ends, 18 solar energy systems installed with more to come

Athens, Georgia power project converting 4,300 roadway lights to LEDs

Georgia DOT and Ray Anderson Foundation pave the way for sustainable transportation innovation

Superfund landfill site going solar in South Carolina

How a legal storm brewed over E-scrap in Tennessee

US Senate Appropriations Committee includes permeable pavements for transportation

The secret to a successful bike share

Bike share isn't just for big cities

Smart truck technology driving waste and recycling fleets

Community guidance adopted to reduce harmful effects of high intensity street lighting

How greening our streets can also make them more resilient to flooding

How energy efficiency can improve low-income and underserved communities

3 ways cities can overcome barriers to energy efficiency

"Curbing" curbside recycling costs and boosting recovery

Solar paving to make first public US appearance on Route 66