ASHRAE Leaves Sustainable Footprint in Salt Lake City

SALT LAKE CITY – The warmth of the Salt Lake City sun and the generosity of ASHRAE members have manifested themselves into energy savings.

Thanks to funds and equipment donated by members and others, a solar hot water heating system was installed at the YWCA of Salt Lake City’s Teen Home. More than $9,000 in money and equipment was raised to install the system, with a ribbon cutting held Friday as part of the Society’s 2008 Annual Meeting in Salt Lake City.

The project was the first of its kind for ASHRAE under a program launched to leave behind a sustainable footprint in the cities where the Society’s meetings are held. 

ASHRAE provided four flat solar panels and additional storage capacity for domestic hot water use. The solar panels will replace approximately 100 decatherms of natural gas per year and reduce the carbon footprint for the home by over 10,000 lbs. of CO₂ annually, saving the YWCA more than $650.

 “We turned it on Wednesday, and the system already is providing hot water for showers for the residents,” Mark Case, chair of the Salt Lake City Host Committee, said.

For more information, visit www.utahashraesolar.tzo.com