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Public Works Building Goes Green With Solar Panels

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) ―

Click to enlarge 1 of 1: The Pittsburgh Public Works building on Fifth Avenue is going green
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Pittsburgh continues its efforts to go green as local city agencies are extending their use of green, alternative energy.

The Pittsburgh Public Works building along Fifth Avenue received a green facelift today with the installation of solar panels.

Chuck Marken, of Sandia National Laboratories, offered an explanation on how the panels will work on the roof.

"Solar electric panels, it's a technology made with a dope silicon and as the photons of light hit the dope silicon they generate electricity," said Marken.

The Energy and Utilities Manager for Pittsburgh, Jim Sloss, says there is a reason why the public works building was chosen.

"Last year, we did an analysis of 120 city-owned facilities and it came back that this building here had great solar access," said Sloss. "But not only that but it housed our public works employees, the ones that would be doing the maintenance and the installation."

Sloss says once the panels are paid off, they will be able to save close to $6,000 annually on the electricity bill.

It's a win-win situation for one of the Department of Energy's Solar America Cities.

"We're seeing solar as a viable option with installations going on commercial buildings, installations on residential buildings and support through the state on tax rebates, credits," added Sloss. "So, we're looking at new alternatives to the fossil fuel needs."