Phoenix Convention Center uses its solar panels
by Jahna Berry, The Arizona Republic /May. 24, 2008
Source: The Arizona Republic
http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/business/
articles/0524biz-phx-solar0524.html
The Phoenix Convention Center began supplementing its power with solar energy this week. City officials activated 732 peel-and-stick solar panels that were installed in April on the roof of the West Building, convention center spokeswoman Lexie Van Haren said. The $850,000 solar-power project is expected to produce 150,000-kilowatt hours of electricity annually and should cut the center’s carbon dioxide pollution by 95 metric tons each year, city officials say.
The panels will provide only a fraction of the power consumed by the center. The purpose of the project, city officials have said, is to show leadership in solar-power efforts.
In September, the city plans to install a kiosk in the lobby of the center that will tell visitors how much power comes from the panels. The center also plans to install a “green wall” to publicize the convention center’s sustainability efforts, she added. “It will be a learning tool,” Van Haren said. “Hopefully it will encourage people to take similar steps in their own lives.” The West Building was completed in 2006 and is bounded by Second, Third, Adams and Monroe streets.