There are more and more alternatives being discovered in the field of renewable energy. Foremost in this line is solar power.
Solar power allo
ws most homeowners to realize substantial savings. For instance, up to 80 percent savings can be achieved in their hot water bill by installing solar water heating systems. Virginia Beach has good solar resources, certainly among the best in the state. The City averages over 4.5 hours of sun per day.
The Virginia Beach Public Schools have been making a concerted effort to be more energy efficient including the use of solar energy to reduce their long-term energy consumption and carbon footprint. Salem High School, TCC, and the Pruden Center in Suffolk have also started programs to educate students in renewable energy systems.
Further information on solar energy can be found here. To learn more about how solar cells work, please follow this link.
Did you know...
- Croc's 19th Street Bistro is the first full service restaurant in the Commonwealth of Virginia with solar hot water. This achievement was made possible by an Incentive Program through the Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals, and Energy.
- The Renaissance Academy is an example of an environmentally sustainable school. Some of the sustainable features include: solar thermal heating of kitchen process
water, photovoltaic power production, ground coupled heat pump (geothermal), geothermal-tied kitchen refrigeration, rainwater collection used for toilet flushing, vegetated (green) roof, and so forth. The kiosk shown on the image highlights the various environmental features in the building while providing real time energy data. This data can be viewed here.