The Wallingford Solar Initiative is advocating to create more solar and alternative energy for members of Seattle’s Wallingford Neighborhood and beyond.
In a city known for its overcast days, one Seattle neighborhood is walking the walk on alternative energy. In the Wallingford district, located north of Gas Works Park between Fremont and the U District, one group of neighborhood volunteers is making a difference.
The Wallingford Solar Initiative just launched this year, but its list of proposed projects is growing, and its goals are seriously green. Its mission: advocating solar power and other forms of alternative energy for the Wallingford neighborhood of Seattle.
Despite Seattle’s legendary rainy season, there is enough sunlight (at least, for half of the year) to make solar energy a more than adequate supplemental, if not regular, source of energy. The growing group has support from several local businesses and organizations, including Tangerine Solar, Artisan Electric, Inc., Lare & Associates, LLC, the climate action group Sustainable Wallingford.us, and 20+ individual members of the Wallingford Community.
The Wallingford Solar Initiative has put forth several ambitious and important projects, currently in the proposal stages. These are:
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The Gas Works Park Northwest Energy Educational Center – the WSI group, teaming up with established Friends of Gas Works Park, is proposing utilizing some of the park space as an “energy interpretive center” with solar panel installations on the Play Barn roof, history and energy information for public schools, and possibly even a demonstration wind turbine. The purpose is to show how the famed park could be used to continue its historical energy related function, but this time in a sustainable and clean manner.
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Hamilton International Middle School (Solar Installation) project hopes to install photovoltaic panels on the roof of he old Hamilton International Middle School where they will both generate electricity and “shovel ready” green jobs for the school while serving as a tool for teaching kids about alternative sources of energy. The proposed installation would be highly modular to allow for future expansion and funding. The project already has a good list of dedicated volunteers comprised of locally-based officials, trade and business people lending their skills, time and labor to see the project through. Possible funding might come from Solar4RSchools Program, a region-wide program run by the Bonneville Environmental Foundation, and the Green Power Program, which is run by Seattle City Lights.
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Last but not least is a Community Solar Pea Patch, a proposed public/community solar project to be installed on a building in the Wallingford neighborhood. The concept, still in the early planning stages, is to generate energy for the utilities to purchase. The money created would be invested in supporting further green initiatives in the neighborhood and building more solar panels, thus creating a self-funded cycle of sustainability and growth.
About Michael Ricciardi
go seattle! there’s always plenty of rays for solar (even on cloudy days) good for them
This is all very encouraging. I am currently starting the build of what will – if it comes to a successful conclusion – be a box of tricks – like an “inverter”, or a “UPS” but which will take the energy from Solar PV panels and supply it into the domestic wall socket. Otherwise a battery is neccesary to even-out supply and demand – and batteries are a contentious issue.
It really is a sign of how lost we have become, when the Sun is seen as the “alternative” to burning the air with oil from miles under the ground !