Sunny days draw New Yorkers to Coney Island, the "working man's Riviera" where, for the cost of a round trip subway ride, anyone can laze on the beach, swim, and stroll the boardwalk. (And for a few dollars more, chow down on a hot dog from Nathan's Famous or ride the Cyclone roller coaster).
But seekers of summer pleasures on the cheap may not realize that as they get on and off the D, F, Q, and R lines beneath the three arching vaults of the Stillwell Avenue Station's train shed, the same sun which lured them to the very southern end of Brooklyn is also providing the raw material to power about half of the station's electricity needs, from lights to MetroCard machines.
The 2,700-module solar power system incorporated into the station's 76,000 square foot train shed has made the transit terminus a landmark: it is the largest of its kind in a train station anywhere in the world.
The system generates around 250,000 kilowatt-hours, or kwh, per year of electricity -- equivalent to the power needed for about 40 homes. And it's helping to ease the city's negative impact on the climate.
"To produce 1 kilowatt-hour of electricity from coal creates about 2.117 pounds of CO2," says Neil Chambers, who was the project architect with the engineering team that designed the train shed. (1 kwh is enough energy to light a 100-watt incandescent light bulb for one hour.)
"So each year, the 250,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity from the Stillwell Avenue Station represents the elimination of more than 236 tons of carbon" from entering the atmosphere -- equivalent to cutting gasoline use by about 4,500 gallons per year, he says. "Not bad, huh?"
It also translates to New Yorkers breathing in less sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, mercury, other toxics, and particle pollution -- all byproducts of burning coal for electricity.
The array was installed as part of the Metropolitan Transit Authority's $294 million renovation of the Stillwell station. The entire subway system uses an estimated 1.8 billion kwh of electricity a year.
Stillwell's system was created using photovoltaics, or PV, an energy technology that converts light directly into electricity. It uses "thin-film" PV sandwiched with clear glass into custom-designed roof units, a design that balances energy generation with sheltering the platforms and providing them with natural light.
"The way we used [thin film PV] as a material, it actually is the roofing," says Chambers, and adds to the train shed's durability. "We had to do projectile testing on it, because the glass was tempered. It's a really strong material -- it's like stone, it's that strong."
Chambers says that his team "greened" the station during renovation in another way as well: by streamlining the design of the steel trusses that hold up the train shed. Without sacrificing strength or safety, they cut the amount of steel needed for Stillwell's renovation by about 30% from the original plans. "The final design allowed us to reduce the carbon footprint of the project by about 20 tons" of atmospheric carbon, he says.
Although the renovation was completed a few years ago, Chambers still describes the project with unmistakable enthusiasm. "New York City Transit saw the potential with this terminal to be a way to landmark the Coney Island area," says Chambers, "and to be a catalyst for the area's revitalization... it's really amazing how they were willing to do this."
Save Money With Less Water Leaking from your Toilet! How about $500 per year on average!!
A while back at a press business expo conference I attended, there was this company LeakAlertor that was talking about losing money with your toilet. I had to hear about this one.. They told me that the flapper on my toilet deteriorates and allows water to fall down the whole to increase the demand for water. No good since I have crazy water taxes where I live in Briarcliff. Anyway, this LeakAlertor through electronics is a constant monitor for my toilet to determine water leakage. So far so good.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Solar power is coming to President Barack Obama's house. The most famous residence in America, which has already boosted its green credentials by planting a garden, plans to install solar panels atop the White House's living quarters. The solar panels are to be installed by spring 2011, and will heat water for the first family and supply some electricity. Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced the plans Tuesday in Washington at a conference of local, state, academic and nonprofit leaders aimed at identifying how the federal government can improve its environmental performance. Former Presidents Jimmy Carter and George W. Bush both tapped the sun during their days in the White House. Carter in the late 1970s spent $30,000 on a solar water-heating system for West Wing offices. Bush's solar systems powered a maintenance building and some of the mansion, and heated water for the pool. Obama, who has championed renewable energy, has been under increasing pressure by the solar industry and environmental activists to lead by example by installing solar at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, something White House officials said has been under consideration since he first took office. The decision perhaps has more import now after legislation to reduce global warming pollution died in the Senate, despite the White House's support. Obama has vowed to try again on a smaller scale. Last month, global warming activists with 350.org carried one of Carter's solar panels - which were removed in 1986 - from Unity College in Maine to Washington to urge Obama to put solar panels on his roof. It was part of a global campaign to persuade world leaders to install solar on their homes. After a meeting with White House officials, they left Washington without a commitment. Bill McKibben, the founder of the 350.org group, said Tuesday the administration did the right thing. "If it has anything like the effect of the White House garden, it could be a trigger for a wave of solar installations across the country and around the world," McKibben said in a statement. What was unclear Tuesday was how much the White House solar project will cost, and how much fossil fuel-based electricity it would displace, since the system is not yet designed and the White House will not disclose how much energy is needed to keep the president's lights turned on. Based on available roof space, administration officials expect the photovoltaic system will include between 25 to 75 panels and will convert sunlight into 19,700 kilowatt hours of electricity a year. That would save a typical household $2,300 on its electricity bill, based on commercial rates in Washington. The solar hot water heating system, based on government estimates, could save an additional $1,000 a year. But the White House is far from a typical house, noted Danny Kennedy, the founder of California-based solar energy provider Sungevity, which offered to put solar panels on the White House for free earlier this year as part of a campaign called SolarontheWhiteHouse. Kennedy estimates that outfitting Obama's pad with solar would cost about $100,000 if paid out of pocket. But the money would be earned back with savings on the electric bill in the first five years, he said in an interview from the Maldives, where he is installing 48 solar panels on President Mohammed Nasheed's private residence. Kennedy said his calculations were based on a 5,000 square-foot California home, which uses 60,000 kilowatt hours of electricity annually. "They use a lot more electricity than that," Kennedy said. "We had to make a few assumptions about what electricity cost was in the White House." AP-->
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Sunny days draw New Yorkers to Coney Island, the "working man's Riviera" where, for the cost of a round trip subway ride, anyone can laze on the beach, swim, and stroll the boardwalk. (And for a few dollars more, chow down on a hot dog from Nathan's Famous or ride the Cyclone roller coaster). 
