 | |
|
| |
| Hugh Morrow Jr. | |
Staff Photo by Tim Barber
Hugh Morrow Jr., president of Ruby Falls stands if front of the 90 solar panels installed on the roof at the longtime Chattanooga attraction.
New power producing solar panels at Ruby Falls puts it among the leaders in Tennessee tourism spots going green, officials said Friday.
“Renewable energy is going to be a very strong part of what we do going forward,” said Ruby Falls President Hugh Morrow Jr. “It’s an investment that will give back every day ... like the cave.”
Some 90 solar panels were installed atop roofs at the attraction.
“Doesn’t it make sense for one of the nation’s natural wonders to use resources like the sun?” said Lee Waddell Curtis of the state Department of Tourist Development.
Mr. Morrow said he expects the system will produce 16,000 kilowatt hours of electricity per year. He said the attraction is selling the electricity to the Tennessee Valley Authority under its green power program.
Mr. Morrow estimated the solar panels, installed by Big Frog Mountain, and other energy conservation steps will cut power consumption at Ruby Falls by more than 24 percent.
“This project is the equivalent of gasoline usage by over 9,000 gallons,” he said.
Mr. Morrow said the solar power investment was from $150,000 to $200,000. A grant from the state Department of Economic and Community Development offset 40 percent of the cost, he said.
State Rep. Richard Floyd, R-Chattanooga, termed the grant “a good investment.”
State Sen. Andy Berke, D-Chattanooga, said conservation is “the way of the future for the environment and ... jobs.”
Chattanooga Mayor Ron Littlefield called Ruby Falls “a very entrepreneurial place” and he’s not surprised by the initiative.
“They’re looking ahead and staying ahead of the curve,” he said.
Mr. Morrow said Ruby Falls uses quite a bit of power in its cavern.
“This is our way of investing back in the community ... so we have a more natural attraction for the next 80 years,” he said.
Text Size:
In reference to Mike Pare's article of Sat. may 23, 09. It seems to me that one important fact was forgotten. Did anyone bother to look at the financial payback of this project? Given the investment cost of $150,000 to $200,000 and savings of 16,000 KWH/year. Since the cost/KWH varies with amount of useage, lets use a high cost of 10 cents/KWH,and if we use a conservative investment cost of $160,000 to make the math simple, it will take 100 years to break even. This is also assuming zero maintenance and replacement costs and zero interest on the $160,000. Not a very good investment is it ????