Fun on the SAS Solar Farm

Have you ever been on a Solar Farm? I had the good fortune of getting up close and personal with one this week. I was very curious about the details of putting land to use in order to produce electricity (vs. crops to create food or fuel). SAS Institute, the world's largest privately held software company, recently installed a 1 megawatt solar farm on their sprawling campus in Cary, NC. The Triangle Chapter of the USGBC hosted a Talk n' Walk of the solar farm, and invited guest speakers from Southern Energy Management and SAS to review highlights from the project. Many thanks to everyone who spent time pulling this event together - it was a great tour!

Details on the solar farm: The 1 megawatt solar array holds 5,040 solar panels on a 5 acre field. The single-axis tracking system follows the sun throughout the day to maximize electricity production. The electrons generated flow straight into the utility grid to provide clean renewable energy from a local source for customers of Progress Energy (talk about a win-win!)


The solar array is estimated to provide power for approximately 150 - 200 homes. The system eliminates more than 1,600 tons of CO2 per year, and is equivalent to eliminating CO2 emissions from the consumption of more than 167,000 gallons of gasoline. (Wow!)

SAS sells the power back to Progress Energy through a power purchase agreement (typical agreements are for 20 years, but could be as little as 5). According to the SAS representative, this is a "profitable program" for the company that doubles as an opportunity for Progress Energy to fulfill their renewable energy requirement. For those of you who aren't familiar, Progress and Duke are required to source 12.5% of their energy from renewable resources under Senate Bill 3 (or S3, AKA the REPS bill).

Interesting trivia:
- Solar electric is not a new concept. SEM found a photo from 1911 of a house with solar panels on the roof
- The 5 acre, 1 MW solar farm only took 3.5 months to construct and begin producing electricity
- SAS has a herd of sheep to keep the grass trimmed in its open fields. How VERY cool! Saves on emissions, and is a much more natural way to keep the grass short and the weeds to a minimum.
- The constructed cost was less than $10 million, with a payback period of less than 10 years


Southern Energy Management works as a partner in these installations by helping clients make decisions based on the economics. SEM creates rigorous financial models for its clients to determine payback period, ROI, IRR, and other tools to help companies interested in solar energy determine a system that fits their specific financial needs. Bob Kingery was flush with detailed information on tax credits, ARRA grants, tax depreciation, RECs and other information (read: you should include your favorite accountant in any decision regarding a solar installation)

SAS should really be commended as a leader in business and in the area for making this investment and figuring out how they could make an impact on the environment. Other sustainability-focused activities at SAS:
- Green initiatives that engage and empower employees
- Corporate social responsibility program that gives back to the community
- Advanced recycling programs on campus (can you believe some companies still don't recycle paper?!)
- Composting program that diverts the food waste generated from the multiple cafes on campus out of the waste stream. Interested employees will get free compost from the program
- Waste cafe cooking oil is converted into biodiesel
- Low flow shower heads, toilets and fixtures
- Irrigation systems that reduce water use
- Committed to green building

Another item of interest is SAS is constructing its first LEED building on campus, Building C. They are pursuing LEED Silver and will have some remarkable features such as green roofs, and nearly 80% open space. And, for your inner HVAC geek, they are estimating a 19.7% energy efficiency ratio. Incredible! Stay tuned for more information on Building C.

SAS should really be recognized for their commitment and investment in becoming a sustianably-focused business. Thank you to all, especially our tour guides from Southern Energy Management.
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Congratulations to HH Architecture for Steady Growth and Profitability

The Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce recently recognized a group of companies at its annual Pinnacle Awards Ceremony.
HH Architecture received an award for Steady Growth and Profitability.

This award recognizes companies that have demonstrated steady growth and profitability for the past three years.

HH Architecture has seen steady growth due to its dedication to building long-term relationships with clients and its balanced approach to business. Founded in 2005, architects Kristen Hess and Chris Horner directed business development, design, and customer service, while planning for future growth.HH Architecture attributes its success to a dedicated, talented staff, the flexibility to adapt to client needs, and an emphasis on service. The firm has also refined its client base to projects that promote learning, wellness, and recreation.
A focus on existing client relationships and a solid reputation for design and service has been a successful formula for HH Architecture in achieving steady growth and profitability.

For the first time, the Raleigh Chamber gave out a Sustainable Business Award, recognizing The Redwoods Group as a business that has embraced the spirit of sustainability by incorporating environmentally conscious practices into the everyday operations of the company. I had the good fortune of working with the folks at the Chamber to develop the award and select the winners.

Congratulations to all the award winners, especially my good friends at HH Architecture!!

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Field Trip: Learning About Water Conservation

So Thursday we headed out for a tour of Integrated Water Strategies, a water recycling plant based in Apex, N.C. Now, if you aren't familiar with what exactly that means, there could be a lot of scenarios running through your head. Do they catch rainwater and purify it for drinking? Do they use rainwater for irrigation? Is rainwater even involved? Or is there something entirely different?

It's pretty much something entirely different. A bit of trivia to help guide your answer: While 30% of the average home's daily water usage goes towards the use of the toilets, that number jumps to 60-70% for commercial buildings! Crazy, right? Here's where Integrated Water Strategies comes in. What Dr. Hal House, PhD, and the good people of IWS do is recycle waste water from the plumbing systems (yes, toilets), send it on a

10-day journey through a system of gardens made up of raised planter beds, constructed wetlands, with a last stop through a greenhouse. This process purifies the water enough to reuse it for the toilet system and the irrigation of their landscape. Dr. House referred to their own garden setup as "community strategy" with ornamental grasses and other ground plants, small shrubs, and various trees (some growing taller than the roof of the building). Housing all kinds of little creatures from toads and lizards to yellow warblers, their garden system for the filtration of water is its own natural ecosystem!


Here is a very basic run-down of the process. A below-ground septic tank collects the waste water, which then feeds the water up into the soil. The garden soil sucks up the nutrients from the waste water to feed the plants. The microbes on the plant roots push the pollutants through the leaves to eventually release back into the atmosphere. One of the most interesting things to me was that the land on which IWS sits had proven to be a money pit for the previous landowners/prospective developers. The soil is simply not suitable to do much of anything with, and it had a chronic problem of not being able to perk, and thus could not manage waste disposal. The building sat largely untouched for many years and was practically overrun by creeping plants and vines when Dr. House entered the picture in 1996. After the overhaul cleanup of the building itself and the implementation of their waste water management and recycling system, Dr. House was able to turn a nearly worthless chunk of land into a very valuable piece of property (think: tripling its value).

Recycled water 5 days into the process.

Dr. House said something towards the end of our visit that really grabbed my attention. He made the comment that in the future water will essentially hold the same value as oil, as these are both a nonrenewable natural resource. Only 2.5% of the water on the planet is freshwater, and only about 1% of that is accessible (the rest is locked up in frozen ice caps or soil). Fresh drinking water is not something we can ever make more of; we can only find new, innovative ways to conserve and purify it. Something to consider the next time you brush your teeth with the water running...

So the next time you are trying to come up with a creative way to conserve and reuse water, consider contacting Dr. Hal House, PhD, at Integrated Water Strategies. He lives for the chance to come up with these creative solutions, and, to be perfectly honest, he's one of the most interesting people I've come across! You'll feel like you've known him forever and will find yourself fixated on everything he says.

Fun Fact and Something to Ponder: The top 2 emerging contaminants (chemicals in very small concentrations) found in our water are artificial sweeteners and caffeine. If these two are the most present, imagine what else has managed to make its way into our water...

Ways You Can Help: The water filtration system at IWS was designed for 60 people. Unfortunately the number of people working in the building is nowhere near that number, so the system is severely lacking the nutrients that the garden requires. So if you ever find yourself traveling down Farrington Road in Apex and looking for a good place to make a pit stop...the facilities are probably a lot cleaner than those at a gas station.

I'm just sayin'.

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