Green Energy Ohio Tour to Feature Ashland University
The Ashland University Library will be one of the sites on the 2011 Green Energy Ohio Tour. Coordinated by Green Energy Ohio and the American Solar Energy Society, the tour will be held Saturday, Oct. 1, and Sunday, Oct. 2, at various locations throughout the state of Ohio.
The statewide event features simultaneous tours in all corners of the state and highlights more than 250 sites with solar, wind, biomass, green design and energy-saving technologies. This event has become the largest demonstrations of installed renewable energy technologies and energy efficient building practices in the United States.
The tour of the Ashland University Library will be held from 1 to 4 p.m. on Oct. 1 and 2. Ashland University completed a $1.2 million library upgrade this summer that included the installation of solar panels on the lower level roof of the tallest building in Ashland County.
Other Library items that will be showcased during the tour include:
• replacement of the HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) equipment in the building, which included taking out all the electric baseboard heat and replacing it with a gas fired boiler feeding two heat pumps on each floor.
• the retrofitting of the lighting in the building. Workers changed out the T8 fixtures, which will result in not only an energy savings but improvement in lighting levels and the lifespan of the bulbs.
• the installation of a 10 kilowatt array of single photo panel cells on two sections of the low roof as well as the side of the library. The sections on the lower roof each contain 18 panels.
The library also features a link to the website that allows for real time monitoring of the electrical output of the panels.
The tour provides a unique opportunity for people to visit sites and talk with owners living and working with clean energy technologies. Aside from Ashland University, other sites in Ashland County participating in the tour will include the Ashland Co.-West Holmes Career Center on Ohio 60, which will be open from 10 to 1 p.m. on Oct. 1; and White’s Green Residence located off U.S. 250 at 1434 Township Road 13, Jeromesville, which will be open from 10 to 4 p.m. on Oct. 1 and 1 to 4 p.m. on Oct. 2.
The Green Energy Ohio Tour is free and open to the public. It also will provide information on how individuals and businesses are trimming their energy bills and increasing their energy independence. Those interested in attending should register at www.greenenergyohio.org/ost because all registrants will be entered to win a free solar site assessment. For more information, visit www.greenenergyohio.com.
More information about the Ashland University library renovation is available at:
Ashland University (www.ashland.edu) is a mid-sized, private university conveniently located a short distance from Akron, Cleveland and Columbus, Ohio. Ashland University values the individual student and offers a unique educational experience that combines the challenge of strong, applied academic programs with a faculty and staff who build nurturing relationships with their students.
