Cumming, GA Sees Another BIG Solar Installation

Image credit - AJC

Some wording borrowed from AJC and Forsyth County News

Most everyone has heard of cutting a ceremonial ribbon to welcome new facilities, but how about a power cord? That's exactly what one south Forsyth business did to officially roll out the second largest commercial solar energy array in Georgia.

DataScan Technologies LLC, a subsidiary of JM Family Enterprises Inc., now has the capacity to capture and convert sunlight to create an estimated 285,500 kilowatt hours of electricity each year.

To symbolize the impact on the firm's electricity bill, company leaders cut a yellow electrical cord instead of a red ribbon during a dedication ceremony Tuesday.

DataScan Technologies is a global leader in wholesale finance accounting and risk management systems and services. It employs about 500, including some 200 at the local center.

Brent Sergot, vice president of DataScan, said officials began developing ways to reduce the data center's environmental impact about a year ago. He said the solar array, which is more than 24,000 square feet and housed on the center's roof, has the capacity to produce electricity equal to that used by some 25 standard residential homes each year.

It would take 377,000 pounds of coal or 477 barrels of oil to produce that much energy.

Colin Brown, president of JM Family Enterprises, thanked state leaders for approving Georgia's Clean Energy Tax Credit legislation during the past legislative session. The previous cap of $2.5 million dollars per year for solar projects was increased to $5 million dollars during an eleventh hour meeting.

"Without a partnership with the state of Georgia, this would not have happened," Brown said. "We're headquartered in the sunshine state of Florida, but Florida offers no energy credits.

"Georgia is on the fore-front in leadership in this area. You're having a great impact on the environment while also creating jobs."

Estimates from the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority and the Georgia Solar Energy Association indicate the solar industry in 2010 had about 450 direct and indirect jobs, which generated about $1.3 million in withholding taxes.

DataScan's solar array features nearly 1,200 glass modules, which absorb sunlight and can withstand winds up to 130 mph. The modules are also hail-resistant.

The array, produced by California-based solar systems manufacturer Solyndra, is arranged on the roof to avoid shadows.

Officials said the $2 million investment in the array should be returned in about seven years through reduced power costs.

The short-term goal is to lower the data center's energy consumption by 10 percent in 2011.
Several state and local elected officials attended Tuesday's dedication.

Forsyth Commissioner Todd Levent called the project "absolutely on target."

"I'm all for the whole concept of getting away from foreign oil," he said. "With a seven-and-a-half-year return on their investment, this makes a lot of sense.

"It's nice to know Georgia is leading the way with environmental incentives."

Another business in Dawsonville recently went solar on their rooftop due to the lucrative tax incentives and solar energy repurchase agreements that are currently offered from local utility companies.

A display in the lobby of DataScan Technologies shows how much electricity a newly-installed solar array is generating. Local officials toured the south Forsyth facility during a "power-cord-cutting" ceremony Tuesday. Below, DataScan Facilities Manager Dennis Arserio, right, shows Forsyth County Commissioner Todd Levent some of the technology used in the solar array.

Company officials and guests gather on the roof of DataScan Technology on Tuesday to view the company's new solar power system.

'Georgia is on the forefront in leadership in this area. You're having a great impact on the environment while also creating jobs. Colin Brown President, JM Family Enterprises. 'I'm all for the whole concept of getting away from foreign oil. With a seven-and-a-half-year return on their investment, this makes a lot of sense.'

Other local solar developments include a solar carport and solar powered EV charging station that is currently being constructed by Atlanta mogul Ted Turner, a 48-acre landfill that is being converted into a solar power plant, and another 30 acre lot near Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport that will include 4,000 solar covered parking spaces.

Chick-fil-A testing green concepts in Texas

Source: AJC

Chick-fil-A says its newest restaurant in Texas is a laboratory for environmental innovations that could pop up in other locations.

The 4,617 square-foot restaurant in Fort Worth would be the first Chick-fil-A restaurant designed to the standards of the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program.

Executives at the College Park fast food chain say they want the restaurant to be a testing ground for various sustainability efforts. The company plans to open more than 75 restaurants this year, but says it won't know which sustainability measures will appear in new restaurants until it observes the pilot project in Texas.

The Fort Worth restaurant has low-flow fixtures in restrooms and the kitchen. A cistern the size of a swimming pool will collect rainwater to irrigate plants and landscaping, a step Chick-fil-A says will cut water usage by 40 percent. Skylights and energy-efficient appliances are expected to slice energy usage by 14 percent.

About 20 percent of the restaurant’s building material budget was spent on products with recycled content, and more than half of construction waste was diverted from the landfill. The restaurant is projected to have 30 percent more fresh air than typical buildings.

The restaurant is about 15 percent more expensive to build than a standard unit, said David Farmer, vice president of innovation and service. The added expense should pay off in higher efficiency, he said.

"There's no question, this will change how we build stores going forward," Farmer said.

The company plans to send crews out to hundreds of restaurants to replace lighting and water fixtures with higher-efficiency models. That step could yield thousands of dollars in savings each year for operators, Farmer said. Chick-fil-A also is considering replacing its bleached-white napkins with brown versions that would require less processing and energy to make.

It's GREAT to see a big company like Chick-fil-A making a pledge to conserve! We are really pumped to see them adopt greater efficient lighting policies, like T5 light bulbs that can save up to 79% on lighting costs compared to traditional lighting!

Did you know As of July 2010, by mandate of the Dept. of Energy, the T12 ballast and bulbs can no longer be manufactured. This means that the estimated one billion T12 fixtures currently in use will have to be changed over to either T8 or T5.

Changing from T12 to T8 is an insignificant savings and may not qualify you for the rebates and tax incentives that are available. Changing to the T8 requires that you change not only the bulbs but also the ballast and continues to tie you to the burden of periodically replacing the inefficient ballast. Changing to T5 technology will save as much as 79% on your lighting costs!

Changing to the T5 technology will in almost every case qualify you for the available utility rebates and tax incentives. Using a T5 retrofit adapter is the least expensive, most efficient, and simplest method for you to change from your outdated lighting to the most efficient lighting solution available. The bottom line is that by simply upgrading your lights to be more energy efficient you can drastically increase YOUR company's bottom line!