Washington and Lee Solar Project Update

LEXINGTON, Va.—
Washington and Lee University is getting serious about going green.
Its latest project is the largest of its kind in Virginia.

Each panel is going up above the parking deck.
There are 540 of them.

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“You want to have a southern exposure with no real, with no shading,” said Grant Gotlinger, a subcontrator working on the project.

This solar panel project has been underway for the past five months.
It’s part of Washington and Lee University’s green initiative.

“This runs in parallel with our electric system. So we are constantly using electricity and it flows one way or the other. If the building is using, it is taking from the panels. If the panels aren’t producing, it’s taking from the system,” explained Scott Beebe, Director of Facilities Management.

These solar panels are expected to produce about one percent of the school’s electricity.
Another two percent is coming from a similar project on the roof of the Law School.
Both are models for the university.

“We want to see how the system works. We want to see how the payback works for us and just see where it takes us,” said Beebe.

This project is expected to be finished by Decemeber 15th.

http://www.wdbj7.com/news/wdbj7-solar-panels-20111130,0,4634386.story