Contact: Laura Arnold
Indiana Renewable Energy Association
LauraArnold@indianarenew.org
(317) 635-1701
INDIANAPOLIS - On Saturday, Oct 2nd from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., central Indiana residents will have an opportunity to learn about solar power for their home or business. The 2010 Indy Solar Tour is a practical, hands-on educational opportunity to see operating solar thermal and solar photovoltaic, small wind, as well as energy efficiency and other renewable energy technologies at various locations in the greater Indianapolis area.
The tour will kick-off at the Hamilton County Parks Department’s Cool Creek Nature Center which features a 15.7 kilowatt Solar PV system. On a typical sunny day, the grid-tied system installed by ECI Wind and Solar in August 2010 produces 75% - 100% of the center’s electrical load.
“The solar system is projected to save the nature center $125,000 in utility costs and reduce carbon emissions by an estimated 18 tons annually,” according to Eric Cotton, president of ECI Wind and Solar. “By installing this solar system, Hamilton County Parks Department has shown real commitment when it comes to education and environmental stewardship” Mr. Cotton, will be at the Nature Center from 2 -5 p.m. to explain how the solar PV system works. He will be joined by Travis Murphy of the Indiana Office of Energy Development among others who will be discussing the state’s role in renewable energy development and the benefit it holds for Indiana consumers.
The Cool Creek Nature Center is located at 2000 East 151st Street, Carmel, IN 46033 and serves as the central hub for many different indoor and outdoor activities in a beautiful 90-acre park.
This free, self-guided tour is part of the 15th annual ASES National Solar Tour, the world's largest grassroots solar event, and is organized by Indiana Renewable Energy Association (InREA) with assistance from the Indiana Office of Energy Development, Indianapolis Power and Light and Duke Energy. In 2009, about 150,000 attendees visited some 5,000 buildings in 3,000 participating communities throughout the United States. A tour map will be available at the nature center and the InREA website.
Indiana Renewable Energy Association - Organized in 2008, Indiana Renewable Energy Association (InREA) is the official Indiana state chapter of the American Solar Energy Society. InREA was established for the purpose of representing businesses which produce, and consumers who use, renewable energy throughout the state of Indiana. For more information, visit http://www.indianarenew.org/.
Indiana Office of Energy Development - The Indiana Office of Energy Development, under the leadership of Lieutenant Governor Becky Skillman, is responsible for Indiana's energy policy. That policy is outlined in the state's strategic energy plan, Hoosier Homegrown Energy which promotes locally derived energy resources such as solar and wind. Visit the OED homepage for more details, http://www.energy.in.gov/.
American Solar Energy Society – Established in 1954, the nonprofit American Solar Energy Society (ASES) is the nation's leading association of solar professionals & advocates. Its mission is to inspire an era of energy innovation and speed the transition to a sustainable energy economy. For more information, visit http://www.ases.org/
