Environmental Leader

Touted as the first green transit facility in the U.S., the new TRANSPO headquarters building in South Bend, is also expected to be largest rooftop solar energy system installation in Indiana, reports SouthBendTribune.com. The 100-kilowatt system will generate enough electricity to power 25 to 40 homes, according to the article.

The new solar system is expected to save the city about $10,000 annually in electricity costs, and since the system was paid for by grants, savings are effective immediately, reports SouthBendTribune.com

The installation will start this summer at the new headquarters for South Bend’s bus systems, reports WNDU.com.

Corby Whitaker of Uni-Solar told WNDU that thin-film technology is a “game changer” because it can be installed where other panels cannot. He also notes in the article that European markets have been very good at creating incentives for renewable energy.

However, the goal of U.S. Rep. Joseph Donnelly, (D) Indiana’s 2nd District, is to create better incentives in the U.S., reports WNDU. He said at a recent solar conference that he believes Congress will demand that a higher percentage of the nation’s energy needs to come from renewable sources, according to the article.

A recent report indicates that traditional manufacturing states like Indiana will benefit from a national Renewable Electricity Standard (RES) across a number of technologies. Legislation for feed-in tariffs is expected in Indiana, as well as Minnesota and Michigan.

In 2008, about seven percent of country’s energy came from renewable sources, reports WNDU.

The House bill, passed in June last year, mandates that 15 percent of the nation’s electricity come from renewable sources by 2020.