HUDSON: The city will celebrate Earth Day on Friday with the launch of its new Barlow Community Center Solar Training Center, the first government-owned facility of its kind in the region.
The facility will be used for training the Hudson Fire Department and Hudson Public Power as well as teaching school students and the community about solar energy generation.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held at 41 S. Oviatt St. at 4 p.m.
The center is being funded with $50,000 raised by the Leadership Hudson Class of 2014 and a grant of $22,000 from American Municipal Power to Hudson Public Power.
In keeping with its mission, the facility will use 55 solar panels on the building roof and 10 on the ground to generate up to 50 percent of the building’s daily energy needs.
The Solar Training Center will serve as a learning tool for Hudson residents and schools, educating children on the science behind and benefits of solar energy. Programs will stress how significant savings can be generated through environmentally conscious solar power generation systems.
City Councilman Casey Weinstein, a member of the fundraising Leadership Hudson class, said the center “positions our city as an early leader in investment in solar energy.”
First responders will train at the facility to learn how to deal with solar panels on roofs of structures they are engaging.
Hudson Public Power employees will also treat it as a regional training center for learning how to deal with solar power panel customers as their ranks grow.
City officials said they also hope its mere existence will attract new residents and businesses who appreciate a community focused on sustainable energy resources.
For students, the educational opportunities are limitless, city officials said. Schools and residents, for instance, will be able to monitor real-time data from the solar panels on the city’s website at www.hudson.oh.us.
Paula Schleis can be reached at 330-996-3741 or pschleis@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/paulaschleis.