Are you interested in renewable energy and sustainability? Me too! I worked in energy conservation for several years before joining the SPC team. I heard about an opportunity through the Florida Alliance for Renewable Energy (FARE) to see what’s happening in Pinellas County with renewable energy.

On March 21st, about 25 of us toured local businesses and facilities, looking at solar installations and talking about the state of sustainability in Florida. My focus was to learn what job opportunities  are out there for students in our A.S degree in Environmental Science Technology and B.A.S degree in Sustainability Management. I found that solar is on the upswing in Florida, despite limited support from the state.

Tour Highlights

We visited SPC’s own Seminole Campus, which has a new 50 watt solar installation, thanks to a grant from Duke Energy. The installation uses thin film technology, which means the underside of the installation looks like a mirror!

Two sites showcased integrated rooftops. PolyPack,Inc is a manufacturer – they make shrink-wrap machines.  So, they used that knowledge to design and produce many of the parts used in the 270 kW solar installation themselves. They installed an integrate rooftop. (Fun side note – did you know there is a cool automobile museum in Pinellas Park? Check it out! http://tbauto.org/ The Polypack owners run it as their hobby.)

The Suntrust Building in downtown St. Petersburg featured an integrated rooftop, installed by Solar Energy Management. It also is expecting a 5 to 6 year payback.

What is an integrated rooftop, you ask? It’s a structural integration that allows the solar racking to serve as part of the roof. That, in turn, means the whole system, including the roof, is eligible for accelerated depreciation and, in the eyes of the everyday business owner, turns the whole discussion about solar in Florida on its head. Previously, only the solar panels/racking were eligible.

Having more accelerated depreciation means the product is able to generate a simple payback in less time, i.e., 5 to 6 years. To the average business owner, that means solar in Florida is now a viable option! And, hopefully, it will means jobs will increase over the next several years.

We also toured the Florida Sierra Club Headquarters in downtown St. Petersburg. This is a Net Zero building developed by All Florida Management. It was a wonderful example of how one can design for Florida’s needs. Net Zero buildings use innovative techniques to reduce the utility bills, reduce the carbon footprint  and increase the occupants’ enjoyment of the space.

The day ended with a town hall meeting, featuring a brief  talk by Mayor Rick Kriseman. All in all, it was clear that our graduates should have good options in terms of companies they could work for! These companies seem to be at the front of the sustainability movement in Florida.  Check out FARE for more information and to get started networking.

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