Category: Solar energy

Workshop on Community and Rooftop Solar Power

On September 9, 2018

In Announcements, Environment, Solar energy

When: Weds., Sept. 12, 6:30 to 8:30 pm
Location: College Park City Hall (4500 Knox Rd., College Park), Council Chambers, 2nd floor.

Two presentations: One from Neighborhood Sun–how to join hundreds of others to get solar power without a sunny roof–and the second by MaryIand Solar United Neighbors (MD SUN) about low-cost solar for homeowners with sunny roofs.

Between 6:30 and 7, we’ll learn about Neighborhood Sun’s community solar project, which goes live in November!

At 7, MD SUN, a nonprofit organization, will provide an overview of how solar power works through the use of solar panel installation and how it can help a group of neighbors get it on their rooftops and how much saving energy will benefit them. Take a look at their website for more information or you can contact them for a personalized response to any of your questions.

Registration requested for planning purposes but not required. Email janiso@erols.com or call Janis at 240-888-6972. Parking permits will be available on the first floor of City Hall at the first window.

This workshop is sponsored by the City of College Park’s Committee for a Better Environment (CBE). Before attending the said workshop, Have a look at this blog post to see the differences between shingle and tile roofing. This way you can keep yourself well informed about the unique ways each one has to maintain them, and with something as simple as shingle repair with can be done rather promptly, you can keep your house looking as if it was built yesterday. However, keep roofs looking good can be quite a difficult task, that’s why it is recommended to consult with a roof contractor before working on anything yourself.

Solar Panel Project on City’s Public Works Garage Nearly Complete

By Fazlul Kabir

On May 6, 2018

In Environment, Solar energy

In an effort to achieve sustainability in energies, City took a project to install solar panels on City’s various buildings. Thanks to this effort many buildings will now run on clean energy, and hopefully the same is done by other cities.

Most recently, the City installed solar panels on City’s Youth and Family Services building. The City has been also working to install solar panels on City’s Depart of Public Works Fleet garage building. This is one of the way that the city is starting to take measures on saving energy, taking advantage of the sun’s power, the building will now run on clean energy. Most of the industrial sector of the city is on solar power to ensure that the city’s goal to turn over to clean energy is a success. With many of the building prepared for their industrial solar equipment install, the search for other sustainable energy projects have been started, one of the other methods is to install turbines strategically around the city to provide power to buildings without solar panels.

If you are planning to utilize solar energy systems, you might want to visit ecogenamerica.com.

Staff has told us that the DPW Fleet Garage Solar Panel Project is 99% complete. All equipment is installed and has been checked for proper operations to ensure that the complete circuit works perfectly. We are waiting on the final electrical inspection next week and for Pepco to change the meter to a net meter for solar energy production. Once the inspection is done the panels that have been installed carefully on the roof of the building can now start harnessing the energy provided by the giant sun.

Solar Bulk Purchase Workshop

By Fazlul Kabir

On May 24, 2014

In Announcements, Environment, Solar energy

Please join The Committee For A Better Environment For Another Information Meeting on Purchasing Solar Systems As A Group

DATE: Monday, June 2, 2014
TIME: 7:00 p.m.
LOCATION: 2nd Floor Council Chambers
City Hall, 4500 Knox Road, College Park, MD 20740

Please contact Steve Beavers, Community Development Coordinator, sbeavers@collegeparkmd.gov, 240-487-3538 for more information

June 2nd Solar workshop

Guest Column: Want to Go Solar? Join Us!

By Fazlul Kabir

On March 28, 2014

In Announcements, Environment, Solar energy

Photovoltaic (PV) solar panels on rooftop

[The following is a guest post by Anthony Morley, who volunteers with Community Power Network, a nonprofit that helps MD, DC, and VA residents go solar and save money on their electricity bills.]

Interested in going solar but not sure where to start? Join us!

Members of the UMD and College Park community are organizing a neighborhood solar bulk purchase. By going solar as a group we can save 20-30% off the cost of a solar system (please see here on how you can save!). You’ll also have the support of the group instead of navigating an often-complicated process alone. Anyone in College Park and the DC metro area is welcome to join the group and to attend either or both of the following info meetings:

– on campus Friday April 4th 12:30-1:30pm in AV Williams room 2460, and
– off campus Wednesday April 16th 7-8:30pm in the City Hall Council Chambers (4500 Knox Rd, 2nd floor).

We will cover the basics of solar and explain how the group purchase works. The group is co-sponsored by the Office of Sustainability and College Park’s Committee for a Better Environment. The group is working with Community Power Network, an independent, nonprofit organization that helps communities go solar. Check out http://www.CommunityPowerNetwork.com/UMD to learn more. See you at a meeting!

Let us know if there’s anything else! Thanks again,

Help Keep College Park a Green Power Community

By Fazlul Kabir

On December 26, 2013

In Environment, Solar energy

Green Power Partnership Certificate

College Park is now a EPA-recognized Green Power Community. But the City needs help from its businesses and residents to maintain the eligibility for the Green Power Community Program with our collaboration with the University of Maryland.

In order to ensure that College Park can obtain and maintain the GPC designation after the first year, the University and the City actively encourage resident and business participation in green power purchases.

Maintaining the GPC designation after the first year requires our community to continue to meet and exceed the GPC’s renewable energy purchase requirements each year.

Businesses and residents can buy clean green energy from the vendors listed here on our website.

Hollywood House Goes Solar

By Fazlul Kabir

On May 11, 2013

In Environment, Solar energy

Yesterday, I was at a house on 47th Place in Hollywood to watch the “Flip the Switch” to solar power event. The resident living at the house first heard of the benefit of switching to solar a few months ago at a local Home Depot store and worked with a solar energy provider called “SolarCity”. SolarCity is a very fast growing company in the country and has a busy office in Beltsville. County Council member Mary Lehman, my Council colleague Patrick Wojahn, County’s DER representative, SolarCity engineers and members of local media were there. Thanks to a County Council’s initiative, residents can now take advantage of a tax credit program that makes going to solar much more affordable and cost effective.