Manlius Pebble Hill School

 

5300 Jamesville Rd, Syracuse, NY 13214

Facilities: Solar, Geothermal

This independent, PK-12 school draws on energy from both the sky and the ground.

Visit Manlius Pebble Hill School to learn all about it.

In 2011, they installed a 117-panel, 25 kW solar array. Since then, they have avoided 142,000 lbs of carbon dioxide emissions, which is the equivalent of 8,652 trees.

In 2014, they added a geothermal heating and cooling system for their new library. The nine geothermal wells have a surprisingly small footprint.

 http://www.mph.net/

 https://www.facebook.com/pages/Manlius-Pebble-Hill-School

In Honor of Earth Day

As we approach Earth Day 2016, it is a point of pride for Americans to know that the seed that grew into this celebratory day began in the U.S. Democratic Senator Gaylord Nelson (WI) decided, after witnessing a savage oil spill in California in 1969, that we should implement a day of celebration for the environment. Nelson chose conservative Republican Congressman Pete McCloskey as his co-chair. Together, these men assembled what they called a “national teach-in on the environment.” Their efforts led 20 million American citizens to gather in streets nationwide. The day was April 22, 1970. It was the largest organized celebration the world had ever seen. The Mayor of New York City closed down 5th Avenue for it. In 1990, Earth Day went global, with over 170 nations participating worldwide.

Photo credit: http://www.splitshire.com/

But don’t puff up your feathers too much, America. Except for China, the U.S. is still the world’s leading contributor of CO2 in the atmosphere. And the U.S. is only 4.4% of the world’s population! For being the primary nation that founded Earth Day, you’d think the U.S. would be leading the ranks in environmental innovation. But it’s still one of the world’s biggest polluters.

Our planet is not all-forgiving, and she is going to start kicking back. NASA indicates that the melting of the Arctic and Antarctic glaciers now “appears unstoppable.” Say goodbye to the Big Apple, the Big Easy and Magic City, because they all stand to be largely underwater within 50 years. 3.1 million in the U.S. alone will live to see their homes underwater. 150-220 million worldwide. Are we worried yet?

Truth is, there are myriad technologies being developed worldwide that will change our habits for the better. We have the working, financially viable technology RIGHT NOW to make those changes. But Americans are loath to change. We need to admit that changes—even sacrifices—HAVE to be made. It is not optional. On April 22, 1970, our political system—Democrat and Republican— came together to push for large-scale movement toward sustainable practice. Isn’t it about time we saw some?

Photo credit: http://www.splitshire.com/

Photo credit: http://www.splitshire.com/

 

Photo credit:  Summertime Grass Landscape Free Photo By splitshire

Kensington Place

144 Kensington Pl, Syracuse, NY 13210

Facilities: Solar, Passive Solar

Peter and Diane had 12 solar panels installed by CNY Solar in 2015. The 12 solar panels cover their entire electricity demand all year round! But their use of solar goes way back, starting in 1985 when they build a solar sunspace/greenhouse.

The solar greenhouse uses passive convection. Passive solar design refers to the use of the sun’s energy for the heating and cooling of living spaces. In this approach, the building itself or some element of it takes advantage of natural energy characteristics in materials and air created by exposure to the sun. on overcast days and at night, shutters can be closed to keep the greenhouse warm, and opened to allow hot air to escape on hot sunny days. Diane and Peter make the best of their passive convection and use it to dry their clothes efficiently, saving on electricity.

A low energy demand, with clever building. See how they did it! Visit Peter and Diane at their home and ask them your questions and learn about their journey of moving away from fossil fuels.

Lyncourt Veterinary Hospital

2306 Court St, Syracuse, NY 13208

Facilities: Solar

Bill Stokes-Cawley, the owner of Lyncourt Veterinary Hospital, was concerned about climate change and decided he wanted to do his part to help.

Come to Lyncourt Veterinary Hospital to learn about the 21.7 kW solar array he had installed in December 2014.

As early as spring 2015, his energy charge on his electricity bill was zero.

The 85 panels fill the roof of the veterinary hospital, sitting at a 10 degree tilt.

Thanks Bill for considering the climate as well as the animals!

Sentinel Heights Rd

3188 Sentinel Heights Rd, Lafayette, NY 13084

Facilities: Solar

Diane and Peter Plumley’s National Grid net meter hasn’t gone above zero since August 2011. Come visit them to see how they did this.

Year-round, their 7.1 kW solar PV system produces more electrical power than they use.

Their setup includes 37 south-facing panels on a 30% incline and 2 additional panels on the east and west facing roofs at a 45% incline.

 

Our Farm

1590 Peth Rd., Manlius, NY 13104

Facilities: Solar

Visit Our Farm to see how big a solar array has to be to supply 100% of their electricity. They have had solar for 4 years now and it has provided them with all of their energy needs.

Our Farm has had the 45 west-facing solar panels on their roof which equates to a 10kW system.

 http://fallpumpkinfarm.com/

 https://www.facebook.com/Our-Farm-165362380176677/

Fesko Farms

1261 East Lake Road in Skaneateles, NY Solar

Facilities: Solar

How many 600-head dairy farms do you know that don’t have to pay a power bill? Fesko Farms’ solar conversion was a 100% success! Owners Kim and Eric Brayman turned an empty, fallow field into a powerhouse for their dairy farm in Skaneatelas.

Come see their working farm, powered by 1,045 Hanwha solar modules in this ground-mounted, 303 kW system. It supplies nearly all of the power needed to run a full-fledged dairy facility, including massive refrigeration facilities for milk and power for all of the buildings on the farm.

 Developer website: http://www.rerenergygroup.com/en/projects/fesko-dairy-farm/

 https://www.facebook.com/Fesko-Farms-135679566541406/?fref=nf

 http://auburnpub.com/wocjournal/lifestyles/growing-power-spafford-s-fesko-farm-offsets-energy-consumption-with/article_a870a603-8673-5c5c-9f15-2a55adf7281d.html

 Energy monitoring for NYSERDA: http://chp.nyserda.ny.gov/facilities/details.cfm?facility=288

 

Midland Ave

340 Midland Ave, Syracuse, NY 13202

Facilities: Geothermal, Solar, Heat Pump Water Heater

THIS SITE IS OPEN FROM 12 PM – 3 PM

Several years ago, Aggie Lane decided to transition energy consumed in her house from natural gas to renewable energy.

Today, there is no gas meter in her house. Visit this site to hear her story and see how she achieved this.

Aggie switched her gas stove to electric, switched her gas water heater to a heat pump water heater, and switched her gas furnace to a vertical-drilled geothermal system.

After a year had passed (to find out what the new electrical load would be), she installed a solar PV system that now covers 70% of her electricity usage.

Dewitt Town Hall

5400 Butternut Dr, East Syracuse, NY 13057

Facilities: Solar

Want to save 183,000 Lbs of CO2 from entering the earth’s atmosphere?? That is exactly what the Town of Dewitt has done in the 5 years that Dewitt Town Hall has been powered by the 55KW solar array they installed in 2011.

The Town of Dewitt combined efforts with Manlius, Onondaga, and the City of Syracuse, as well as local grass movement Solarize Syracuse, to purchase the larger-scale solar array. The “purchase power” of their combined efforts helped 72 other commercial and residential properties in those areas sign solar contracts in 2014.

The Town of Dewitt recommends that interested parties use the NYS Unified Solar Permit, which vastly simplified the process for them. The fillable form is available online, simply complete it and bring it to the Planning and Zoning Department with the appropriate fee.

 http://www.townofdewitt.com/Solar.aspx

 Live model of town hall PV System

Town of Clay

4401 Route 31, Clay, NY

Facilities: Solar

In April 2014, The Town of Clay installed a 99kW ground-mount photovoltaic solar array at their Town Hall and Highway Garage located at 4401 State Route 31, Clay NY 13041.

The Town of Clay began this project in 2013 in partnership with Warner Energy, LLC and funded through a NYSERDA grant. The system is comprised of 396 – 250 watt high-efficiency solar panels installed on Town property. The panels and related electrical equipment convert sunlight into power which will be used for lighting and electrical equipment within the Town Hall and Highway buildings. If the solar array is generating energy in excess of the Town’s needs, it will be sold back to the grid and used by other utility customers.

It is estimated that every year, for at least the next 25 years, the clean, renewable energy generated by the system will offset the emission of tons of greenhouse gases. This is equivalent to thousands of gallons of gasoline, or the carbon sequestered by planting 9.7 acres of pine forest. A state-of-the-art monitoring system is installed in the lobby at the main Town Hall Office Building which provides detailed, real-time data collection and analysis.
The Town of Clay is leading by example for other municipalities to become environmentally friendly.

 http://www.townofclay.org/