Knoxville children in after-school care are learning how solar energy works at the facility the City of Knoxville provides for their activities, which is now running on solar power. Mayor Indya Kincannon joined the children to ceremonially flip the switch on Earth Day at Dr. E.V. Davidson Recreation Center.
“This installment of solar infrastructure means a reliable, carbon-free supply of electricity for this important community center,” said Mayor Kincannon. “Investing in solar is just one of the many ways we support clean energy in our facilities and operations.”
This is the second recreation center with solar power in Knoxville, and it’s the first project to include battery energy storage along with solar. It was funded by an Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) from the Department of Energy. Knoxville Utilities Board played an integral role. Present for the dedication were family members of the late Dr. E.V. Davidson, a leading physician and philanthropist who made possible previous upgrades to the facility bearing his name.
Solar Alliance Southeast designed the system with more than 100 solar modules on two rooftops, mounted on a ballasted structure. The system is nearly 60 kilowatts, includes two inverters, and works with a 122-kilowatt-hour Battery Energy Storage System or BESS. Both SASE and KUB shared educational activities for the Earth Day dedication event along with recreation center staff.
City Sustainability Director Patience Melnik said, “Nearly 40 percent of Knoxville’s carbon emissions come from buildings. When we can make our buildings more energy efficient or operate them with renewable energy, we can make a big dent in our emissions while reducing our utility bills.”
Solar Alliance Southeast has designed and installed the systems on both recreation centers in Knoxville, supporting about 20 local jobs. Carbon offsets from these two solar installations are equivalent to approximately more than 88-thousand pounds of coal burned or more than 200-thousand miles driven by gas-burning vehicle.
Anne Brock-Rankin is Marketing Coordinator for Solar Alliance, a renewable energy company based in Knoxville. She can be reached at abrock@solaralliance.com.
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