Press release here:
Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College has entered into an agreement with FLS Energy, Inc., to have 39 thermal collectors installed on four campus buildings to provide hot water heated by solar energy.
Funded by a U.S. Department of Energy appropriation from 2008 secured by U.S. Rep. Heath Shuler, the College’s Global Institute for Sustainability Technology project will provide 1,885 gallons of hot water a day. The panels will be installed starting later in the spring, and the installation should be complete by the end of the year.
FLS Energy, a solar energy generation company based in Asheville, will own, maintain, and operate the solar thermal systems throughout the 10-year lease agreement. FLS Energy will then sell the energy used to heat the water back to the College at approximately one-half the current rate paid for natural gas. The total potential savings is about $22,000 over the next 10 years.