Business & Tech
Historic Joshua House Gets Solar Energy Makeover
Expected to generate $4,200 in energy savings in first year.
Plymouth Meeting's historic Joshua House took a step into the 21st century this summer, but the only place one might notice it is on the monthly energy bills.
The home currently houses commercial offices, and reached out to its own tenant, CarrierClass Green Infrastructure, a company specializing in renewable energy technologies. CCGI worked to install over fifty solar (photovoltaic) panels on the Joshua House's roof, which will generate more than 34,000 kWh of electricity each year, according to a press release. CCGI also says that the carbon footprint for solar cells amounts to only five percent of the footprint for coal power, the type of electricity most commonly distributed by PECO.
However, residents driving by on Stenton Avenue and Joshua Road likely won't see the rows of solar panels.
"The array has been designed to be completely non visible to vehicular traffic," the release says. "This allows Joshua House to go green while the building's historical integrity remains intact."
According to CCGI, at current rates, the panels should pay for themselves within eight years, leaving 12 years of financial benefit before the end of system's projected lifespan. However, savings may fluctuate depending on the changing Solar Renewable Energy Certificate market in Pennsylvania, the release said.
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