The facility, which is also known as the Leon County Sustainable Demonstration Center, is a net-zero building – a designation for sites that produce renewable energy at a rate equal to or greater than the building’s total annual energy consumption.
The event on Friday, September 14th begins at 10:30 AM when the public is invited to view the ceremonial “Power Up." Guided tours of the center will be given until noon.
The renewable energy for the Sustainable Demonstration Center comes from solar power. There are 253 solar photovoltaic cells on a ground-mounted structure, which also doubles as shaded parking. The solar array is sized to a 60-KW system, which supplies about 40 percent of the energy needed to power the 13,000 square-foot building. In comparison, the average home may be sized to a 5-KW system.
Also, a large portion of the facility's heating and air system was replaced by a geothermal system, which uses the earth's relatively stable temperature of approximately 68 degrees to naturally cool or heat the building. A series of pipes carry water through 60 vertical loops in bore holes that are 90-feet deep into the ground. This geothermal system is approximately 40 percent more energy efficient than a traditional heating and air system.
The Leon County Extension office is located at 615 Paul Russell Road, Tallahassee.
For more information, contact Kendra Zamojski, Director of the Leon County Extension Center, at 850.606.5200 or E-mail: ZamojskiK@LeonCountyFL.gov
More upcoming green events at the Green Calendar.
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