Boone Residents Partner with NC GreenPower and Blue Ridge EMC for Greener Energy
For Immediate Release
Contact: Renee Whitener, Director of Public Relations, Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corporation, (828) 758-2383 ext. 3213; Pager:1-800-471-1323; or E-mail: Renee Whitener
Boone, North Carolina (October 3, 2005) – North Carolina’s energy supply is a little greener, thanks in part to Boone resident and educator Dr. Harvard Ayers and his wife, Mackie Hagaman. The Appalachian State University (ASU) professor and his wife, who is also on the staff of ASU, recently became a supplier of solar energy to the
NC GreenPower program, a statewide non-profit program working to develop cleaner, renewable energy options for the state.
The electricity comes from solar photovoltaic panels located on the roof of their home that provide 800 watts of electricity that are emissions-free and generated by sunlight. The energy can be used in their home or added to the statewide electrical grid through an interconnection agreement with Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corporation, the electric utility that serves his home and some other 68,000 member-owners in northwest North Carolina.
“Harvard and Mackie are our first members to utilize our residential small generation interconnection rate and we’re pleased NC GreenPower has approved them to be a provider to the statewide renewable energy program,” said Doug Johnson, chief executive officer of Blue Ridge Electric. While Blue Ridge sets forth standards for interconnection to ensure safety and power quality, NC GreenPower has full authority to qualify and approve all suppliers to the NC GreenPower program.
The Ayers will receive payments from Blue Ridge Electric for every kilowatt hour that is sold back to the utility. He will also receive an additional premium from NC GreenPower for each kWh generated. The NC GreenPower premium comes from individuals and businesses across the state who voluntarily elect to make tax-deductible contributions of $4 or more per month on their utility bill to support renewable energy development in North Carolina. Blue Ridge Electric also participates in this program, allowing members to add on contributions to their monthly bill by simply signing up online or by calling or coming into their local office. To date, 189 Blue Ridge Electric members have signed up for NC GreenPower and a total of $17,088 in contributions from these members has been sent by the cooperative to NC GreenPower to help support the development of renewable energy.
Together, the utility and NC GreenPower payments will help the Ayers to offset the cost of their system.
“Renewable technologies are often higher in cost than traditional resources despite their cleaner attributes,” said Bob Zickefoose, resource manager for NC GreenPower. “One way we can help individuals interested in developing this technology is by providing a per-kilowatt-hour premium to recover some of their costs. Together, with the payment the supplier receives from their utility, it can make a real difference.”
Zickefoose praised the efforts of the Ayers and Blue Ridge EMC for their work in adding more renewable energy to the grid.
“These are pioneers in many respects. The work being done by utilities like Blue Ridge Electric to enable new energy sources to come on the grid and the willingness of individuals like Harvard Ayers and Mackie Hagaman to take these important first steps will help this industry to move forward in the years ahead.”
Putting Words Into Action
For Harvard Ayers, developing cleaner energy sources is part of a lifelong commitment to educating students and others on the relationship between community and the environment. As an anthropology professor and environmental advocate, Ayers has spent a lifetime studying the impacts of development and energy consumption on natural resources and human society.
As part of that mission, Ayers founded Boone-based Appalachian Voices, an advocacy group whose mission is to protect and restore the ecological integrity, economic vitality, and cultural heritage of the central and southern Appalachians. He also recently created Arctic Voices, an organization working to address the impacts of oil exploration issues in Alaska.
“Our nation is so invested in oil at present, that as interruptions appear, it becomes clear that we have to head in other directions,” said Ayers. He sees developing cleaner energy alternatives as essential to preserving the environment and creating a more stable energy economy. As an advocate of these things, Ayers is working hard to be an example as well.
It’s easier as a leader to be able to talk about these things when trying to do them,” said Ayers.
A Model Home
In addition to the solar photovoltaic system providing electricity to the house, the Ayers’ home also features both active and passive solar heating and solar hot water heating. The features were added to the house during its construction by Sundance Power Systems, Inc., a Mars Hill-based solar technology provider for both residential and commercial applications.
Additionally, lighting fixtures throughout the home take advantage of energy saving compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs. And to save energy on the road, Dr. Ayers was one of the first in Boone to purchase a Toyota Prius hybrid-electric vehicle. But despite these innovations, the professor underscores his real-world approach to energy and the environment.
“I am just an average person wanting to show that someone in a conventional house can do it," Ayers said.
While the cost of installing solar technologies can be prohibitive for some homeowners, there are many ways to help lower the initial investment. Adding energy saving technologies when a house is under construction can minimize the time and cost involved in installing them. And many lenders today now offer energy efficient mortgages to help amortize upfront costs over the life of the loan.
North Carolina also offers substantial tax credits for renewable energy additions and energy saving installations. Coupled with tax credits made available in the newly passed federal energy bill, savings can help defray a significant portion of the investment in these technologies. And homeowners who utilize solar photovoltaic electricity may also be eligible to receive payments from their electric utility and the NC GreenPower program for any electricity that their installation adds to the state’s power supply.
For more information on the NC GreenPower program, visit www.ncgreenpower.org. Find out more about Blue Ridge EMC at www.BlueRidgeEMC.com. Information on tax incentives for solar technology installation can be found through the NC Solar Center at www.ncsc.ncsu.edu.
