"We're proud to be taking this step forward in the environmental sustainability of our facilities," Mecklenburg County Commission Chair Jennifer Roberts said.

"These solar water heaters represent our commitment to shrinking Mecklenburg County's carbon footprint and using clean energy technology to save our taxpayers on facility operating costs."

Crews from Southern Energy Management (SEM), a North Carolina-based solar power and energy efficiency company with offices in Charlotte, are installing all of the solar thermal systems.

The solar water heating systems are all going on buildings that use a significant amount of hot water. As a result, the county will avoid using more than 1.5 million cubic feet of natural gas per year. The 141 collectors are spread out as follows:

+ 64 at Mecklenburg County Jail North

+ 32 at Metro School, which serves cognitively disabled students

+ 21 at the Medical Examiner's Office

+ 16 at Central Piedmont Community College's Culinary Arts building

+ 8 at Wallace H. Kuralt Centre, which houses the Department of Social Services

"Putting 64 collectors on one roof is a big deal," SEM co-founder Bob Kingery said. "We've been at this for a long time now, and even some of our larger military installations haven't topped 50 collectors on any single building. It's exciting to see Mecklenburg County taking a bold stance like this."

The Heliodyne solar thermal systems work by using the sun's energy to pre-heat water, lessening the need for traditional electric- or natural gas-heated hot water tanks. SolTherm, an Asheville-based clean energy services company, is providing the rooftop solar collectors.

"We recognize the importance of supporting clean energy - both for the cost and environmental savings, and for the jobs that it brings to the area," Roberts said.

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