Mayor Tim Douglas and Puget Sound Energy Vice President of Energy Cal Shirley will dedicate a new Solar Power Demonstration Project Thursday, Oct 25, at Maritime Heritage Park’s Environmental Learning Center. It will includes an interactive kiosk and real-time display of the power the project generates. Puget Sound Energy awarded the system to the city in recognition of Bellingham’s having been named the nation’s most successful Green Power Community by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. PSE has also awarded the city a $20,000 grant to install another renewable energy facility.
The installation of the twelve solar panels completes the transformation of the Environmental Learning Center, once the site of a landfill, into a state-of-the-art educational facility. The 2040-watt solar electric power system will help offset a portion of the facility’s electricity use, and an interactive, flash-animated kiosk located at the center will increases the educational value of the project. The kiosk, which shows the performance of the system and how solar electricity is generated, will be moved to Bellingham City Hall in the future.
“With energy independence a very high national priority, we need to explore every possible option for meeting our power needs,” said Mayor Tim Douglas. “This project is a great example.”