Silver City, NM (October 5, 2011) - In case you've been wondering what's on the roof of the newly constructed carport at the Silver City Visitor's Center parking lot on Hudson St., it's an array of photovoltaic panels which convert sunlight to electricity. The 7.6 kilowatt set of panels on the roof are connected to the Visitor Center's electrical meter and are reducing the Town's reliance on non-renewable energy from the electrical grid.

According to project manager Mike Sauber, the carport array was proposed by the Mayor's Climate Protection Agreement Citizen's Advisory Committee as part of a State Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant. It is the first solar energy project of the Grant County/Silver City Joint Office of Sustainability, of which Mike is an employee. To maximize local and regional benefit, it was built primarily with local labor, and the 32 photovoltaic panels were manufactured in Albuquerque by Schott Solar. "The ongoing goals of this project are to increase awareness of the use of solar energy, to save the Town money, to reduce our carbon footprint and become a more self-sustaining community." he said, "Non-renewable sources of energy are subject to price fluctuations due to various market factors, and since we know the sun will come up every morning, using solar energy becomes a smart and stable hedge against those price fluctuations."

To increase awareness of the benefits of solar energy, an educational kiosk and display monitor will be installed in the Visitor Center foyer. Visitors to the Center will be able to see how much energy the solar array is producing in real time, how much it has produced over time (total production,), tons of CO2 emissions avoided by not burning fuel in a conventional power plant, and the equivalent number of trees planted necessary to absorb the CO2 produced from a fossil fuel burning power plant. The display is expected to be installed within two weeks. The information to be displayed can be viewed online at:

https://enlighten.enphaseenergy.com/public/systems/JGbw29849.

The Southwest NM Green Chamber of Commerce, who now manages the Visitor Center seven days a week, is very supportive of the project. Green Chamber President Cissy McAndrew said "The Southwest NM Green Chamber of Commerce is proud to be managing the Center and hosting the educational display. Promoting the Town's commitment to sustainability is something we believe in and makes economic sense."

This project was funded with American Recovery and Re-investment Act money provided by the New Mexico Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department and the U.S. Department of Energy. Other much larger solar projects are forthcoming for pumping water at the wastewater treatment plant and the Gabby Hayes well. Those projects are expected to save the Town millions of dollars in electrical costs over a 20-year period.

An open house/dedication for the carport is planned for the first Friday in November.