By Lori Aratani
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, July 10, 2008

The best way to showcase Howard County's solar power initiatives in action? Take people right to the source, and tell them to wear flat shoes.

Last week, about a dozen people stood on the roof -- yes, the roof -- of the Howard County Library's East Columbia branch as County Executive Ken Ulman (D) unveiled an effort to be "green," an array of 24 solar panels that are converting sunlight into electricity. (An e-mail about the event had urged participants to wear flat shoes).

The library is the first county facility to use the panels.

"This is a concrete example of moving forward," said Ulman, referring to his pledge to make the county one of the greenest in the nation. "This is an opportunity for government to play a leadership role in educating the public."

The panels are part of a broader effort in Howard to conserve power and build in more environmentally friendly ways. On Tuesday, Ulman, business leaders and environmentalists announced the creation of a Green Business Council, which will create a network in which businesses can share knowledge about green technology.

And the Howard County Conservancy, a nonprofit environmental education group near Columbia, recently added solar panels to collect sunlight and reduce energy costs.

The library's solar panels, installed in May, will generate about 4 kilowatts of electrical energy during daylight hours, roughly the amount it takes to power a single-family home, said Joshua Feldmark, director of the county's Office of Environmental Sustainability.

The panels cover about 500 square feet of roof space. The net cost to the county for installation was about $45,000.

Officials estimate that the panels have generated enough power to operate 33 homes for a day. Using the sun as an energy source also means the library has avoided emitting more than 2,000 pounds of carbon dioxide, Feldmark said.

To complement the rooftop project, county officials have created a computer kiosk near the library's check-out desk that allows people to see how much energy is being generated by the solar panels. (If you can't make it to the library, visit http://www.hclibrary.org/solar.)

"This is cutting-edge solar technology here," said Richard E. Deustschmann, chief executive of Chesapeake Solar, which collaborated with the county on the project. "The future looks like this."

Library officials said they were excited that the building was selected as the first county facility to use the solar panels, said Brian K. Auger, deputy executive director of the Howard County Library. To encourage people to think green, library officials have also created book displays with tips on how to be environmentally conscious.

"This is a great project," Auger said. "Maybe it will get a few people thinking, 'I can do that.' "