Solar panels going in at Mars Hill College

News for Mars Hill College....

"The project involves installation of 75 solar thermal collectors to serve three important college facilities: Pittman Dining Hall, Gibson Residence Hall and Brown Residence Hall. Panels are already in place on Brown Residence Hall, and today’s work will center on Gibson.

"The solar thermal systems are designed to generate energy to provide more than 3,000 gallons of hot water per day to meet the domestic hot water requirements for these facilities.

"The solar project at Mars Hill will be one of the largest in the state and will generate more energy than any solar project yet developed for a college, school or university in western North Carolina. That results in considerable environmental benefits. The project will prevent the release of more than 44 tons of carbon dioxide pollution into the atmosphere each year. This is the equivalent of taking 20 cars off the highway or planting 43 acres of trees.

"During the academic year, the three facilities involved use approximately 3,400 gallons of hot water per day. Beginning immediately after its installation, the project is expected to reduce the costs for the college to heat this water by 10%. Over a ten year period, Mars Hill is expecting a total reduction in costs of between 20% and 28% compared with using natural gas, a fossil fuel."