Pittsburgh Firehouse 34 on the North Side will receive the city's first solar energy device this month, a solar water heater, which will eliminate the need for natural gas as a hot-water fuel source.
The firehouse is the first of six city facilities to get solar upgrades this year as part of a partnership between the U.S. Dept. of Energy and the city's office of Sustainability and Energy. The remaining solar sites will be selected with the help of Carnegie Mellon University.
The proposed installation is scheduled for October. Bids from solar energy companies are invited. All six solar energy installations should be complete by the end of 2010.
"We hope that by installing our first solar water heater, we can help to illustrate that solar energy does work in southwestern PA and to help to encourage others to look into renewable energy sources," says Lindsay Baxter, sustainability coordinator. "As renewable energy becomes more popular, an economy of scale can occur to make renewable energy sources cost-competitive with traditional fuel sources and we're proud to join other cities to be a part of this market transformation. "
"Solar installations will reduce the city's carbon footprint, helping to move us closer to our greenhouse gas reduction target adopted in the Pittsburgh Climate Action Plan, and reduce our dependence on fossil fuels."
Writer: Debra Diamond Smit
Source: Lindsay Baxter, City of Pittsburgh
Photograph copyright Brian Cohen