written by: Nash Armstrong, 865-342-6336.

Knox County took a large step toward becoming more energy efficient Thursday with the opening of a solar panel farm at the Knox County Detention Center.

The farm, which consists of 300 solar panels, five solar storage tanks, 65 concrete pads and more than 6,000 feet of copper piping, is one of the largest solar thermal systems for domestic use in the nation, said Brian Durr, Trane district manager of Tennessee.

“This innovative solution serves as a great example of how government and business can collaborate together to enhance the environment within our community,” Durr said during opening ceremonies at the Detention Center. “The county has stepped forward to provide an excellent example of how government can truly make a significant difference in the community.”

Trane, Knox County and FLS Energy partnered to make the project a reality. The solar thermal technology will replace natural gas as the primary way to heat water for the detention center’s 1,036 inmates.

The $1.88 million project, funded by a U.S. Department of Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant, is estimated to save Knox County $60,000 annually and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 174 tons annually.

Knox County Mayor Mike Ragsdale said the money saved from using solar energy will benefit the community in the long run.

“We simply cannot afford to keep spending money to heat and cool and light our buildings and facilities,” Ragsdale said. “I’m very proud that we are taking some big steps to save taxpayer dollars.”

Completion of the solar panel farm is the first in a series of government-funded projects in Knox County. The county began a collaboration with Trane in August 2009 to “address aging infrastructure and high energy and operating costs.”

Ragsdale said after all of the various projects’ completions in January 2011 – which consists of renovations and upgrades to 40 facilities, 24 parks and 37 traffic intersections – Knox County will save $6 million annually.

U.S. Department of Energy spokesman Craig Isakow said reducing the country’s use of nonrenewable energy sources also is a way to protect the country.

“A billion dollars a day to buy overseas foreign oil undermines national security because we depend on regimes that don’t necessarily share our values,” Isakow said.

When the projects are completed, Ragsdale said Knox County will be well on its way to becoming free of nonrenewable resources.

“What we’ll have is an infrastructure that reduces our carbon footprint, is efficient, is environmentally friendly and will serve our citizens for years and years to come,” Ragsdale said.

Each workshop will cover the history, technology and applications of solar energy, as well as explain the economic benefit for homeowners and business owners.  “Solar can reduce your energy costs up to 80% and with tax incentives that cover half the price of the system, the economics speak for themselves,” says Grant Gosch, director of First Light Solar.  “Our workshops are a great way to spread the word to the community.”

The next Economics of Solar workshop is scheduled for Thursday, July 22 at 6 p.m. at West End Bakery & Café in West Asheville.  This workshop will also include a special tour of West End’s newly installed solar thermal energy system which supplies the restaurant with its daily hot water needs.  Workshop participants will see firsthand how the system operates and what is involved in the installation process.

Other local businesses participating in these workshop events include HomeSource, Green Sage, and Earth Fare.  To view a complete listing of dates, times and venues for The Economics of Solar workshops, visit http://www.firstlightsolar.com/events.html.  Each workshop lasts approximately one hour with time for mingling and Q&A segment.  Complimentary appetizers and beverages provided by First Light Solar.  RSVP to events@flsenergy.com.

First Light Solar (a division of FLS Energy) based in Asheville, N.C., is an award-winning solar energy design and installation company providing residential and light commercial clients with the latest technology in photovoltaic (PV) and solar thermal (hot water) energy systems.  For more information on First Light Solar visit http://www.firstlightsolar.com or call 828-350-3993. 

 ###

PRESS RELEASE

Knox County Detention Facility to Start Gathering Sunshine

- New solar farm, one of the nation’s largest, expected to save $60,000 in annual natural gas costs -

Knoxville, Tenn., July 13, 2010 — A new solar farm will soon enable Knox County officials to harvest sunshine to meet the hot water demands at the county’s 1,036-bed detention facility. Officials anticipate that the new solar thermal system, one of the nation’s largest for domestic hot water according to FLS Energy ? the solar company with which Trane worked on the project ? will save $60,000 a year in natural gas expenses and reduce CO₂ emissions by 174 tons annually.

A ceremony will be held to formally launch the solar thermal installation on Thursday, July 15 at 11 a.m. on the lawn outside the Knox County Detention Facility, 5109 Maloneyville Road, Knoxville, TN 37918.

The solar hot water installation features 300 solar collectors and produces and stores nearly 14,000 gallons of hot water a day for domestic use. Funding for the $1.88 million solar farm was provided through the US Department of Energy’s Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant program.

“The Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant program is an important part of Gov. Phil Bredesen’s strategy to invest in cost-effective clean energy resources in Tennessee,” said Commissioner Matt Kisber of the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development. “The EECBG grants will help Knox County to lead by example in their energy conservation efforts, while reducing energy bills in the short term and supporting Tennessee’s rapidly growing clean energy economy in the long term.”

“The solar farm is an important step forward both fiscally and environmentally,” said Mayor Mike Ragsdale. “From the cost-savings, we can provide services to our citizens with money we were using to pay energy bills. Environmentally, we are following the advice of our own Knox County Green Team and tapping into alternative energy sources. In this case, that resource is sunshine, which is readily available here in the south.”

County-wide Improvements Currently Underway

The solar thermal system installation is part of $16.2 million in improvements that the county launched in collaboration with Trane in August 2009 to address aging infrastructure and high energy and operating costs. The improvements will be completed in January 2011. The county is combining anticipated energy and operational savings with $2.1 million in U.S. Department of Energy’s Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant funds to pay for the improvements.

When completed, the improvements will reduce the county’s energy costs an estimated 36 percent by upgrading and enhancing infrastructure in 40 facilities, 24 parks and 37 traffic intersections. In addition to creating one of the nation’s largest solar farms, the improvements are also expected to add county jobs and significantly reduce the county’s environmental impact while providing a more productive and comfortable environment for county employees and residents who use county services.

Over the 15-year life of the program as it was approved by the Knox County commission, the county will save an estimated $29 million, more than covering the program’s $27 million cost. This total cost includes $16.2 million in infrastructure upgrades, $7.5 million in maintenance and repair services, and allotments for debt service and measurement and verification services. The resulting project requires no new tax dollars.

# # #

About Knox County

Knox County is an East Tennessee community with more than 425,000 citizens. The county is located in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains, and is home to the University of Tennessee, the Tennessee Valley Authority and Scripps Television Networks. Also located nearby is Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The county’s public school system serves more than 55,000 students in 87 schools. Both the public library and public health systems are rated among the state’s highest. The county’s six senior centers provide services to the county’s 70,000 residents over the age of 60. The county’s parks and recreation department maintains more than 5,700 acres of park space and nearly 90 miles of greenway and walking trails. Local law enforcement officials daily ensure the safety of the county’s citizens, located across the county’s 526 square miles.

About Trane

Trane, a business of Ingersoll Rand – the world leader in creating and sustaining safe, comfortable and energy efficient environments – improves the performance of homes and buildings around the world. Trane solutions optimize indoor environments with a broad portfolio of energy efficient heating, ventilating and air conditioning systems, building and contracting services, parts support and advanced controls for homes and commercial buildings.  For more information, visit www.Trane.com.

About Ingersoll Rand

Ingersoll Rand (NYSE:IR) is a world leader in creating and sustaining safe, comfortable and efficient environments in commercial, residential and industrial markets. Our people and our family of brands —including Club Car®, Hussmann®, Ingersoll Rand®, Schlage®, Thermo King® and Trane® —work together to enhance the quality and comfort of air in homes and buildings, transport and protect food and perishables, secure homes and commercial properties, and increase industrial productivity and efficiency. We are a $13 billion global business committed to sustainable business practices within our company and for our customers.  For more information, visit www.ingersollrand.com.

Reporters may contact: Joan Schimml, (651) 407-3897, joan.schimml@trane.com.

Governor Perdue visits Camp Lejeune solar project

On May 20, N.C. Governor Beverly Perdue made a stop in Eastern North Carolina where military housing developer and builder, Actus Lend Lease, Atlantic Marine Corps Communities (AMCC) and FLS Energy are developing the largest solar powered residential community in the continental U.S. at Camp Lejeune in Jacksonville, NC. The 900 individual systems will provide 75% of the hot water to homes on the base and is setting an environmental example for other military installations to follow. FLS Energy will own the systems and will sell the heated water to Actus Lend Lease at rates equal to or less than traditional fossil fuels.

Just last week, FLS Energy and the Camp Lejeune project were featured on National Public Radio’s “All Tech Considered.” Click here to listen to the great story!

FLS Energy presented at National Solar Energy Conference

Dale Freudenberger, President of FLS Energy, was asked to speak at Solar 2010, the American Solar Energy Society’s 39th Annual National Solar Energy Conference in Phoenix last month.  It’s America’s leading conference on the emerging trends, technology, and opportunities shaping the new energy economy.  Dale spoke about commercial-scale solar thermal systems in a forum titled “Solar Thermal Heating & Cooling: A Hot Solution for a Cooler Climate.”  He had a lot to talk about.  No one in the country has more on the ground experience developing commercial-scale solar thermal projects than FLS Energy!

Mark your calendars! The 2011 National Solar Energy Conference will be in Raleigh, NC!

Michael Shore is Small Business Leader of the Year

Michael Shore, FLS Energy’s CEO and a founding partner, was honored on Monday, June 21st at the 113th Annual Meeting of the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce as their “Small Business Leader of the Year.”  The meeting and awards Dinner was held at the Grove Park Inn Resort and Spa.  Over 800 area business and community leaders were in attendance.  Michael was selected as an individual who clearly reflects quality and dedication in the operation of business in the Asheville area and provides leadership accomplishments including innovation, initiative and civic responsiveness.

Thanks to the Chamber and Time Capsule Video for producing this video about Michael and FLS Energy.

The Hospitality Industry is in Hot Water with FLS Energy

Hotels are a perfect candidate for solar hot water systems.  Thousands of gallons of hot water are needed daily for cleaning, cooking and guest use.  Not only are solar thermal systems carbon-cutting, sustainable energy applications, but they are also a cost effective way to heat water that can save a hotel up to 20% in energy expenses.

With the Proximity Hotel, Kanuga Conference Center and the Hilton Asheville systems performing very well, we have made it our mission to encourage more hotel owners and developers – and even national brands – to make commitments to solar energy.  Below are just a few of our most recent hospitality industry clients.  They truly are leaders in making solar mainstream!  If you are traveling in these areas, please consider staying with them and thanking them for their commitment to sustainability!

Courtyard Marriott, Downtown Greenville, SC :

FLS Energy designed, engineered and installed the 60 panel system at the new Courtyard Marriott in Downtown Greenville, SC.  The system is currently creating almost 3000 gallons of sun heated water a day and is the largest system of its kind in the state of South Carolina.

At the project’s announcement in February, Bo Aughtry, Principle with the hotel’s developer, Windsor/Aughtry Company, said, “After payback, the sun will be heating nearly a million gallons of water a year for free. This is a very big investment for us and a significant milestone for Marriott. We hope to be the first of many hotels that will make this environmentally sensitive move.”

Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa, Asheville, NC:

The historic and world renowned Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa has recently signed a Solar Energy Purchase Agreement with FLS Energy for a 12-panel solar thermal system to be installed at their Sports Complex.  The system will produce approximately 600 gallons of hot water a day for use in the showers.  FLS Energy will own and maintain the system, and sell the hot water back to the Grove Park Inn at a rate equal to or less than traditional fossil fuels.

As an internationally known hotel, FLS Energy is proud to be a part of the Grove Park Inn’s commitment to sustainability.

Hilton Knoxville Airport, Alcoa, TN:

The Hilton Knoxville Airport will soon become one of the first hotels in Tennessee to utilize solar thermal technology.  A commercial-scale 40-panel, solar thermal system will be installed by the end of the year on the roof of the hotel near Knoxville, TN.  FLS Energy will design, install, and maintain the system, which will work silently in cooperation with the hotel’s existing water heating units.  The system will heat an average of nearly 2,000 gallons of water per day for the Hilton.

“We are proud to be on the leading edge of sustainable tourism in Tennessee,” said Pace Cooper, Cooper Hotels’ president and CEO.  Mr. Cooper encourages all Tennessee hotel owners to participate in environmental programs and learn about the financial benefits of operating sustainably with clean energy technologies. The federal government and the State of Tennessee offer a combination of tax credits, incentives and grants for companies wanting to utilize solar energy.

Candlewood Suites, Fayetteville, NC:

FLS Energy will be installing a solar thermal system on a new Candlewood Suites in Fayetteville, NC.  FLS Energy is proud to partner with NHG Hotels, the owner of the property, to develop the first solar hot water system for an International Hotel Group property.  IHG is the brand responsible for such household names as Holiday Inn and Intercontinental Hotels.  This project is another first for FLS Energy in mainstreaming solar energy into the hospitality industry.

WNC Magazine features Evergreen Solar Farm

If you haven’t heard yet, Evergreen Packaging’s landfill in Canton, NC has been home to the largest solar farm in Western North Carolina since March.  FLS Energy, Progress Solar, Suniva and Evergreen Packaging are development partners for the innovative Evergreen Solar Farm that rests on top of the landfill.

WNC Magazine is currently featuring the Evergreen Solar Farm in their June issue.  Click here to read the article online or pick up an issue today!

First Light Solar – Residential Division

1^st Annual Run for the Sun

On May 8th, First Light Solar hosted its first annual Run for the Sun 8K charity event at Carrier Park. The event was a great success with runners of all levels completing the course. The purpose of the event was to celebrate solar energy and raise awareness of renewable energy. Race proceeds were donated to the WNC Green Building Council who will use the funds to install a photovoltaic system for lighting and water pump station at the new Pearson Street Community Garden Project. “It’s really great to see a for-profit business stepping up to support the community and raise awareness of solar energy,” says Matt Siegel, director of the WNC Green Building Council.

Learn How Solar Energy Benefits the Environment & Your Wallet

First Light Solar presents The Economics of Solar (E.O.S) Info Session on Tuesday, June 29th at Earth Fare (Westgate) in the Community Room from 6-7 p.m.  Learn about the history, technology, applications and economies of solar energy. Drinks and appetizers will be provided. Bring your friends and join us for an evening of solar education! Please RSVP to events@flsenergy.com or call 828-350-3993.

First Light Solar welcomes Ben Edson

Ben is First Light’s newest addition.  Ben’s interest in solar energy began as a child growing up in a passive solar home.  He moved to Asheville in 1996 to attend Warren Wilson College.  He graduated with a degree in education and liked the area so much he decided to stay.  He feels First Light combines his lifelong interest in solar with his degree because he gets to educate the people he meets about the benefits of solar energy.

So many of these panels have gone up in one neighborhood that the community is quickly becoming the largest in the continental U.S. to heat water with solar energy.

‘A Milestone’

An American flag flies from the porch of Sgt. Kirk Paulsen and his wife’s light brown house. The Paulsens live on the corner of a cul-de-sac where every home on the block has a 10-by-4 solar panel smack in the middle of the roof. The solar panel is a new addition to the Paulsen home. One they’re proud of.

“It’s kinda like a milestone in our history books for the Marine Corps, for the state of North Carolina and for the continental U.S.,” Paulsen says. “So I feel very proud of that — that we’re conserving it for our children’s children’s children.” Eventually solar panels will sit on top of 900 homes in this Camp Lejeune neighborhood.

How The Panels Work

Michael Shore, the president of FLS Energy — the company behind the solar panels — says they act like a greenhouse: They heat a fluid that runs down pipes inside the house and transfer the heat into a 40-gallon water tank with temperatures reaching 180 degrees.

Shore says solar hot water is one of the most cost-effective ways to generate energy.

“We have this myth in this country that renewable energy’s expensive,” Shore says. “And here, Camp Lejeune and the house company are saving money through solar [energy], so I think we are really in the midst of a shift in how our nation gets its energy.”

Shore says energy from the sun can heat three-quarters of the water used in a typical household. But Marines living on base don’t pay utility bills. So who’s saving money?

Camp Lejeune, sort of. FLS buys all of the solar panels and equipment and sells the hot water to the company that runs Camp Lejeune’s on-base housing.

FLS has done this before with populations of individuals who don’t have to foot the water bill themselves. It has tacked solar panels on top of hotels, college dorms, prisons — places that use a lot of hot water.

“So the military was the next, and maybe the best, frontier just because there is so much hot water that’s used on a base,” Shore says.

Branching Out

It’ll cost FLS $6 million to hook up all 900 homes on base to solar water heaters. For the average civilian homeowner the out-of-pocket cost can run as much as $7,000. Paulsen and his wife, Jamie, have only had their solar water heater for a few weeks. But they say so far, there have been no surprise cold showers.

“When we’re taking a shower and whatnot, the water is always nice and warm when we want a warm shower on a cold day,” Kirk Paulsen says. “There’s always warm water available.”

After conquering the Marines, FLS Energy has its sights on bringing solar water heaters to families in the other branches of the military.

http://www.wncmagazine.com/feature/sustainability/evergreen_solar_farm

by Josh Boatwright

ASHEVILLE — Officials at Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College say a new installation of 39 solar thermal panels will do much more than save money on power.

“These panels, once installed, are going to serve as live labs so that instructors who are teaching solar hot water technology will be able to utilize these facilities where we have this technology,” said Max Queen, vice president of risk management and operations.

The college has entered into a contract with FLS Energy Inc. to install the panels on four campus buildings to provide power for about 1,885 gallons of water a day.

FLS will own, maintain and operate the solar thermal system during a 10-year-lease agreement, covering the cost of installation while selling the energy back to the college at about half the current rate of natural gas.

A-B Tech is expected to save $22,000 over the next decade, avoiding anticipated increases in energy prices, Queen said.

A U.S. Department of Energy grant secured by U.S. Rep. Heath Shuler will also pay for $25,000 of the college’s power bill to FLS, he said.

Those funds are part of two grants totaling more than $1 million that are paying for the college to create a new associate’s degree in sustainability that will start this fall, develop renewable energy training programs and other materials to assist workers going into green industries.

A majority of the solar thermal collectors will go up at A-B Tech’s main campus on the Magnolia and Birch buildings, which house the culinary and cosmetology programs, the largest consumers of hot water.

On the Enka Campus, Fernihurst and Blue Ridge Food Ventures will get panels.

FLS will begin installation this spring, and the project should be finished by the end of the year.

The company has installed 30 large solar energy systems across the state.

FLS communications director Jonanna Malcom said many schools and universities have taken an interest in solar energy to educate students on sustainability.

Without having to pay the upfront cost of installing the system, the savings on hot water are also a big draw, she said.

“We like to say in 2020 wouldn’t you love to be paying gas prices you were paying in 2010?” she said.

Press Release: Recovery Act Funds Support Innovative N.C. Energy Projects

The following are details of the projects receiving funding:Eighteen innovative North Carolina projects, 17 using solar technology and one using landfill gas, will receive a total of about $2.3 million in federal Recovery Act funds to implement energy conservation projects that invest in energy technology, Gov. Bev Perdue announced today.
“These projects help build our state’s green energy economy, create jobs and demonstrate how public and private partnerships can work to help our communities,” said Perdue.
The 18 projects represent $26.3 million in total costs and will generate 31.8 million kWh of electricity annually (enough for 2,610 average homes for a year) or 2.6 billion BTUs (enough to provide hot water to 287 average homes for a year), depending on the specific project.  Funding for additional projects is still under review and will be announced later.
Money for the grants is distributed by the North Carolina Energy Office, part of the state’s Department of Commerce, through the State Energy Program fund through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education, Mecklenburg County — $24,719 for a 20 panel solar thermal system to be installed at the J.V. Washam Elementary School in Cornelius.  The solar thermal system will provide the cafeteria and school facilities with 1,000 gallons of hot water per day.  The solar heating system includes solar panels, pumps, tanks, controls, wiring, piping, and insulation.  A web-based monitoring service will provide access to energy production data on a daily, weekly and monthly basis. The total cost of the project is $123,595, and it will generate 204,000,000 BTU annually.

Elon University, Alamance County — $200,000 for solar thermal systems to be installed at Elon University to produce approximately 4,500 gallons of hot water per day for four buildings on campus.  One of the newer student housing facilities on campus, Colonnades A and B are two identical student housing facilities, and each dorm will get a 20- panel solar thermal system.   The Colonnades Dining Hall will get a 30-panel solar thermal system.  The Danieley Center, another dorm, will get a 20-panel solar thermal system.  The solar heating system includes solar panels, pumps, tanks, controls, wiring, piping, and insulation.  A Web-based monitoring service providing access to energy production data on a daily, weekly and monthly basis will collect flow rates and temperatures, capturing actual performance of the systems.  Total cost of the project is $482,734, and it will generate 920,000,000 BTU annually.

FLS YK Farm, Caldwell County — $32,358 for a solar thermal project to be installed at Meadowood Garden Apartments in Lenoir to supply hot water for the complex.  FLS Energy is a national solar energy generation company headquartered in North Carolina.  Meadowood Garden Apartments includes 50 one- and two- bedroom apartments and townhouses.  The project will consist of a 21-panel solar thermal energy system to supply 1,050 gallons of hot water a day to the water heating system for the apartment building.  The solar heating system includes solar panels, pumps, tanks, controls, wiring, piping, and insulation.  A Web-based monitoring service providing access to energy production data on a daily, weekly and monthly basis will collect flow rates and temperatures, capturing actual performance of the systems.  Total cost of the project is $129,433, and it will generate 215,000,000 BTU annually.

FLS YK Farm, Martin County — $200,000 for a 250 kW photovoltaic solar system to be installed on the roof of the Food Lion in Robersonville.  The roof-mounted, grid-tied installation will include all labor, materials and services required for a complete and functioning grid-tied photovoltaic system. The system will include: solar panels, panel racking and mounting, wiring, inverters, and monitoring system.  Total cost of the project is $1.75 million, and it will generate 330,000 kWh annually.

FLS-YK Farm, Mecklenburg County — $143,054 for a 32 kW capacity photovoltaic solar system to be installed at both the Beatties Ford and Hickory Branch Libraries in Charlotte.  The system will include: solar panels, racking and mounting, wiring and monitoring system.  Total cost of the project is $572,228, and it will generate 42,000 kWh annually.

McDowell County — $66,749 for a solar thermal system at the Senior Center and the Law Enforcement Center in Marion, supplying hot water.  The showers, laundry and the dining facilities at the jail require large volumes of hot water year-round.  McDowell County operates its Meals on Wheels program out of its Senior Center, which also requires large amounts of hot water.  The Law Enforcement Center will get 50 solar thermal panels and the Senior Center will get six panels.  The solar heating system includes solar panels, pumps, tanks, controls, wiring, piping, and insulation. A Web-based monitoring service will provide access to energy production data on a daily, weekly and monthly basis.  Total cost of the project is $333,747, and it will generate 572,000,000 BTU annually.

McDowell County Schools — $128,627 for  solar thermal systems totaling 109 panels, to be installed at McDowell High School, East McDowell Junior High and Marion Elementary School to supply hot water for the schools.  These three public schools include dining facilities that prepare breakfast and lunch for more than 2,300 students per day as well as showers at the middle and high school.  The solar heating system includes solar panels, pumps, tanks, controls, wiring, piping, and insulation  A Web-based monitoring service will provide access to energy production data on a daily, weekly and monthly basis.  Total cost of the project is $643,136, and it will generate 657,000,000 BTU annually.

Weaver Cooke Construction, Guilford County — $29,560 for a photovoltaic solar system installed on the Weaver Cooke Construction headquarters building in Greensboro.  The roof-mounted, grid-tied installation will include all labor, materials and services required for a complete and functioning grid-tied photovoltaic solar electrical system.  The system will include: solar panels, panel racking and mounting, wiring, inverters, and monitoring system.  Monitoring will show DC voltage, amperage, and power, as well as live kWh production and historical day, week, month and year data.  Total cost of the project is $173,880, and itwill generate 31,000 kWh annually.

Camp Lejeune housing is making history.

Atlantic Marine Corps Communities will kick off a partnership today with the Asheville-based FLS Energy that will enable them to bring solar-heated water to 900 houses, most of which are at Camp Lejeune. This project, due to be completed by the end of this year, will make AMCC the largest solar-powered residential community in the continental United States.

A deputy project director for the initiative, Matthew Lynn, said Wednesday that the move to solar power was part of the larger AMCC philosophy.

“AMCC is always looking to do things in a sustainable way, and we have goals to do as much with renewable energy as possible,” Lynn said.

The decision to go solar was made last year, he said, when the organization inked a partnership with FLS, allowing it to purchase energy at a discounted rate.

When the project is finished, 450 new houses and 450 existing residences will have solar panels installed, which will channel energy from the sun to the buildings’ hot water tanks. Roughly 75 percent of the energy needed for all the homes’ hot water will come from the panels, Lynn said. But overcast days won’t mean cold showers: The houses will also have redundant backup systems, he said, for such times.

“This project is really a win-win for everybody, because we are taking, by using the solar hot water heating systems, that’s essentially taking that electricity off the grid,” Lynn said. “And from a financial standpoint, the rate that we’ve worked out from the purchase agreement is lower.”

Some other benefits include steeply reduced carbon dioxide emissions. The project will prevent the release of 1,035 tons of emissions per year, which is like planting 10 acres of trees or taking 255 cars off the highway, according to AMCC.

North Carolina governor Beverly Perdue will visit Tarawa Terrace, one of the base neighborhoods getting the new water-heating systems, to help celebrate the project launch today. Also present will be Camp Lejeune’s executive officer, William Meier.

Lynn said he was glad that Perdue’s presence would give the initiative added publicity and possibly inspire other communities to take similar steps toward sustainable energy. But, he said, the work on improving energy use in Camp Lejeune housing was not complete yet.

“We also have a goal to expand our program in the next fiscal year. We’re probably going to double the size of our project in 2011,” he said.

For young Marines at Camp Lejeune, green isn’t just the color of uniforms anymore.

On Thursday, the base celebrated its status as the site of what will be the largest solar-thermal-powered residential community in the continental United States.

By using solar thermal power to heat water for 900 homes, the project is expected to prevent the release of 1,035 tons of carbon dioxide into the air each year, the equivalent of taking 255 cars off the road, according to the company that developed it. Ultimately, thousands of homes on the Onslow County base and at other military installations could have similar systems.

FLS Energy, a solar power specialty company based in Asheville, N.C., has begun installation of the systems on new and existing homes at Lejeune. On Thursday, Gov. Bev Perdue visited one home in the Tarawa Terrace II subdivision where the solar system was put in just over a week ago.

“This is really a big deal for North Carolina and America,” she told media gathered for the tour. “You don’t often in life have a chance to watch some big change happen.”

Just as the military has, in the past, made those in its ranks change their behaviors about race, drug abuse or domestic violence, it will now be able to change the way its young recruits treat the earth itself.

The families who occupy these houses, Perdue said, will live their lives as environmental stewards, “because the Marine Corps has said they will.”

Sgt. Kirk Paulson and his wife, Jamie, who let Perdue peer into their utility closet at their 40-gallon water heater, are glad to be part of the project.

“I’m kind of excited about it,” Jamie Paulson said. “I think it’s a great move forward.”

It might not be as easy if the couple weren’t living in base housing.

The 10-by-4-foot solar panels perched on the roofs of the homes at Tarawa Terrace and the hardware that connects them to the water heater inside cost about $7,000.

These are being paid for through a complex financing arrangement through which FLS borrows money from Bank of America. The bank gets to use state and federal tax credits that come with solar power, and FLS earns income from the systems by selling the kilowatt hours they produce to Duke Energy, which pays for them at a reduced rate compared to electrical kilowatt hours.

And the company that runs base housing gets a break on its electricity bills.

“Everybody wins,” said Brownie Newman, director of project financing for FLS.

For now, the company is mostly involved in large-scale projects on properties that won’t change hands before the solar systems have paid for themselves.

The systems being installed at Lejeune should be able to produce about 75 percent of the hot water an average house uses in a year, Newman said.

After heating and cooling the living space, heating water is the third-largest use of electricity in most homes, he said.