Methuen unveils first solar
powered lighting system
Mayor Calls It An
Important First Step Toward Energy
Independence
 Methuen
Mayor William M. Manzi, III. announced
today that the city has put its first
solar-power lighting system online. The
system is used to light the Arthur M.
Hilgendorf memorial and flagpole at the
Raymond J. Martin Park on Riverside Drive
in West Methuen. Mr. Hilgendorf, who died
in 1992, was a member of the US Army who
served in World War II and Korea. He was
the recipient of the Silver Star, Bronze
Star and Purple Heart. The city had
wanted to light the monument since it was
installed, but it was too costly to run
electrical wires underground to the site.
The lighting system was made possible
through a grant from the
Commonwealth’s Renewable Energy
Trust (RET). RET has combined its
resources with the International
Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW)
to offer a program that provides free
solar-powered lighting systems to
Massachusetts cities and towns.
The use of solar lighting not only
provides visual appeal to a previously
unlit space, but it also introduces the
community to clean, renewable solar
electricity. In addition, the program
helps SolarOne, a Massachusetts business
that designs and develops these systems,
to grow its operations in the
Commonwealth. The labor and expertise
used to install the unit was provided by
the generosity of the members of the
regional Local 103 of the IBEW, including
electrician Marty Akiens.
Mayor Manzi thanked the Massachusetts
Technology Collaborative, The Renewable
Energy Trust and the IBEW for their work
on the project. “Their partnership
on this project was invaluable,”
Manzi stated. “It is my hope that
more solar lighting systems will be
constructed in Methuen. This is an
important first step toward energy
independence.”
Manzi added that this is one in a series
of efforts his administration has made to
promote green government and energy
efficiency.
In 2006, he created a committee to advise
him on such matters. Early this year,
Manzi distributed reusable cloth shopping
bags at his annual city clean up event.
He also entered the city in the
EPA’s Energy Challenge, committing
to lower the city’s energy
consumption by 10% by the end of his
tenure as mayor. He is also sponsoring an
Electronics Recy-cling Event at the
city’s transfer station on November
8th from 9 A.M. to 1 P.M.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
All
pictures and material are
(C) copyright, Valley Patriot, Inc., 2008
|
