Solar-powered security lights illuminate "green" parking lot

CFM Distributors, an employee-owned HVAC and refrigeration distribution company, recently completed a series of projects to "green up" their 7-story building and parking lot in Kansas City's historic West Bottoms area.  Tom Roberts, president of the 40 year old company, has initiated a number of green projects for the company, including a complete lighting retrofit and energy control system in partnership with Kansas City Power & Light.  They also created a parking lot designed to minimize stormwater runoff, lit by a solar PV-powered security lighting system designed and installed by The Energy Savings Store.

The security lighting system is powered by a 225W SEPCO solar electric lighting system with a 224 amp battery pack.  The 100x65'  lot is lit by two 32W CFL power flood lamps mounted on the wall of the building overlooking the parking lot.  The parking area features flow through gravel paving and a rainwater recovery and distribution systems to irrigate the landscaping.

24 216W Sharp solar PV panels form a total of 5184W of power from solar energy

In addition, The Energy Savings Store installed a 5kW solar PV system to generate renewable energy to offset the power used in the 100,000 ft. building.  The solar array is also a joint project with KCP&L, designed to save CFM money and reduce their dependence on fossil fuels.

Mitchell Park Loft in St. Joseph MO

The old Mead Paper factory, where "Big Chief" writing tablets were manufactured for decades, sat vacant in downtown St. Joseph, Missouri for years.  Foutch Brothers Development, a firm specializing in the renovation of such properties for loft apartments, found it to be the perfect property to create a luxury apartment community that is both high-tech and eco-centric.

The 500,000 square foot building includes both residential and retail space, with 258 apartments and a variety of shops and restaurants at the ground level.  In addition, the facility boasts a 20,000 square foot recreation facility, complete with a swimming pool and indoor running track.  The facility makes extensive use of natural daylight, with large windows, skylights and a five-story atrium.  In addition to the breathtaking views of the city, the roof contains garden landscaping, and a system that captures rainwater to be used for irrigation. 

60 kW solar thermal array heats potable water. A second 40kW array heats the swimming pool.

The roof of the building also includes several arrays of solar panels installed by The Energy Savings Store.   Twenty solar panels are used to heat the potable water in the building, with a combined power output of 60kW.  A second array of 16 panels is used to heat the pool, for a total of 100 kW of solar thermal power generation.  "On a project this big, we can put in a large bank of solar panels and it can pay for itself in three years," says Steve Foutch, partner in the firm.  This tremendous ROI is due in large part to the additional historical tax credits received as part of the project.

Foutch believes that renovating a building like this is the foundation of what it takes to be green.  "Think of the amount of materials and all the truckloads of diesel to truck it out of here."