Monday, July 27, 2009 at 11:13:07 AM - by Nate Lew

Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl recently announced the proposed installation of the city’s first solar energy device, a solar hot water heater, on top of the No. 34 firehouse in Woods Run on Pittsburgh’s north side.

The city is in partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy on the solar hot water initiative, and is in the process of selecting five other city facilities for solar upgrades with the help and cooperation of Pittsburgh-based Carnegie Mellon University, a private research university ranked 6th globally in technology. Carnegie Mellon will analyze energy data like available solar irradiance, and help guide design and installation.

According to Ravenstahl, the installation will eliminate natural gas as a hot-water fuel source, reduce the firehouse’s carbon footprint, save money and provide a venue for city employees to learn “green collar” skills that will come in handy on future projects.

The training is an offshoot of the city’s Sustainability and Energy office, and will be conducted with the help of a federal contractor. Aimed primarily at plumbers, contractors and building inspectors, the program will provide skills needed for solar equipment maintenance and repair.

The proposed installation is scheduled for October. Bids from solar energy companies are invited. All six solar energy installations should be complete by the end of 2010.

Ravenstahl calls it “an environmental transformation in advance of the G-20 Summit”, a Sept. 24 and 25 meeting of world leaders, including EU officials, to discuss the global economic turndown.
This event will be held in September in Pittsburgh. A White House advance planning team for the G-20 arrived on Wednesday, July 22 with plans to tour the airport and the convention center and develop logistical solutions to get world leaders from the former to the latter, about 20 miles away in downtown Pittsburgh.

It’s a step, albeit a small one, toward making the city, and the nation, less dependent on foreign oil, though most energy experts agree that coal will continue to dominate American energy production through 2050, when coal production is predicted to peak. Coal currently represents 46.1 percent of America’s generation mix, with renewables like solar, wind and hydro rising to 11.1 percent between 2008 and 2009.

Solar hot water is by far the most efficient and effective use of solar irradiance. The use of solar energy to heat hot water – which accounts for about 30 percent of a household’s energy needs and carbon footprint – not only reduces energy bills for hot water by about 60 percent, but reduces greenhouse gas emissions by about 34 tons over a 20-year period. Using solar energy to heat water for radiant heating (radiator-based, in-floor or baseboard) systems is typically 40 percent more efficient than forced-air heating, and in-floor systems have the added advantage of providing immediate, even warmth that rises naturally to make rooms more comfortable.