By Stephanie Ghertner
On Thursday, June 25th, Fire Station #64 in Richmond, California celebrated the installation of a solar thermal system. Funded by PG&E, the system consist of three 4’ x 6’ solar collectors and one 120 gallon storage tank. The system has the potential to save the City of Richmond up to $1,300 per year.
This project was completed through strong partnerships with neighborhood resources. The solar collectors were manufactured locally by Heliodyne, headquartered right across the freeway from the fire station, and the system was installed by SunWater Solar, also based in Richmond. Solar Richmond, a non-profit that serves the community through green-collar job training and placement for low-income residents, also contributed to the installation. Diverse stakeholders in city government, local business, and the non-profit world worked together to make a positive and sustainable impact on the community at large, and the result was no less than impressive. This system is exciting not only because it will offset 1.95 tons of carbon dioxide each year but also because of its complementary benefits – a greener Richmond and a healthier California, job creation and vocational training, education and empowerment.
PG&E is thrilled that Richmond Mayor Gayle McLaughlin and Assistant City Manager Leslie Knight, along with representatives from Richmond Build, Heliodyne, and SunWater Solar were able to attend the ribbon-cutting event and celebrate the Richmond Fire Department’s commitment to a clean energy future. It was a great morning and many thanks to all participants!
