At 10 o’clock Monday morning on June 6, the skies were cloudy but the atmosphere was sunny as local leaders were on hand to dedicate the state’s largest solar thermal hot water system at Hillside Terrace Apartments.
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(L-R): Bryan Garcia, Senator Guglielmo, Mickey Toro, Mayor Apel, Pat Keane and Representative Ackert |
Two of the four building panel arrays at Hillside Terrace Apartments in Vernon, Connecticut. |
State legislators Senator Tony Guglielmo and Representative Tim Ackert spoke at the dedication, expressing their enthusiasm about the project. Ackert said, “The system that C-TEC Solar designed and built is helping to make Hillside Terrace more competitive in today’s market. It’s a win-win. We need more projects like this in Connecticut.” C-TEC Solar owner Mickey Toro added, “This 80-panel system spans four buildings and is expected to offset nearly 80% of the property’s hot water energy. Every apartment building, commercial building and residential home should institute solar as a method of reducing its reliance on fossil fuels.”
Vernon Mayor George Apel presented Hillside Terrace representative Pat Keane with a citation from the town. In part, the mayor said, “Hillside Terrace Apartments installed the state’s largest solar thermal hot water system, thereby achieving the benefits of improved energy efficiency and has become a clean energy business leader in Vernon.”
Keane shared his thoughts on the project, ”A few years ago we struggled with high oil bills, making it harder for us to rent.” C-TEC Solar provided a detailed site-and-needs assessment, then installed the system across four buildings. He added, “Their workers were fast and neat. This system is expected to save us over $10,000 a year in energy costs, which will help keep our rents competitive.”
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(L-R): Representative Ackert, Mickey Toro, Senator Guglielmo, Bryan Garcia, Pat Keane and Mayor Apel |
Bryan Garcia, President and CEO of the Clean Energy Finance and Investment Authority (CEFIA), also spoke at the event. He congratulated C-TEC Solar and Hillside Terrace Apartments on the project’s success. Garcia added, “Because solar thermal technology can displace 70-80% of the energy needed by traditional hot water heating systems, commercial properties like Hillside Terrace Apartments as well as homeowners are realizing tremendous environmental and financial advantages.” C-TEC Solar worked with the Clean Energy Finance and Investment Authority (CEFIA) to access all the State and Federal rebates available, making the cost of the project very attractive.
C-TEC project manager Dwayne High ended the event by giving a tour of the state-of-the-art pump room.
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Left photo: Senator Guglielmo and Representative Ackert listen to C-TEC Solar Project Manager Dwayne High explain the workings of the solar thermal pumping system |
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