WVSU EDC Hosts Solar Energy Co-op May 19
4/17/2015
Contact: Kimberly Osborne
(304) 766-3363
kosborne@wvstateu.edu
April 17, 2015
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
WVSU EDC Hosts Solar Energy Co-op May 19
INSTITUTE, W.Va. – The West Virginia State University (WVSU) Economic Development Center (EDC) will host a Charleston Solar Co-op information session Tuesday, May 19, at 5:30 p.m. The co-op is a new initiative of Kanawha County residents seeking to leverage their collective buying power and better harness the potential of solar energy.
“The Charleston Solar Co-op is an effective and viable approach for developing community-based renewable energy projects in Charleston and other parts of West Virginia,” WVSU Sustainable Community and Economic Development Specialist Sarah Halstead said. “This business model provides benefits to individuals, businesses or communities through the implementation and use of solar power.”
Solar energy systems harness energy in the form of solar radiation, which makes the production of solar electricity possible. The WVSU EDC is teaming with WV SUN, a nonprofit organization that makes solar energy systems more affordable and accessible. The group has helped organize neighborhood solar co-ops throughout the state, most recently in Monroe and Fayette counties.
“The solar co-op model fits perfectly with the EDC’s vision of community development as the place where sustainability meets livability,” Halstead said.
The public is invited to attend the information session to learn about solar energy, the co-op process and the cost of installing a system. As a co-op, a group is eligible for tax credits in addition to saving an average of 25 percent on the cost of installation, Halstead said.
Learn more about the Charleston Solar Co-op and solar energy systems at
WVSUN.org.
The WVSU EDC is located at 1506 Kanawha Blvd. W. in Charleston. For more information, visit
www.wvsuedc.org.
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West Virginia State University is a public, land grant, historically black university, which has evolved into a fully accessible, racially integrated, and multi‐generational institution, located in Institute, W.Va. As a “living laboratory of human relations,” the university is a community of students, staff, and faculty committed to academic growth, service and preservation of the racial and cultural diversity of the institution. Its mission is to meet the higher education and economic development needs of the state and region through innovative teaching and applied research.
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