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Winston-Salem prepares first solar panel project for city-owned buildings

The Bryce A. Stuart building in downtown Winston-Salem will be the first city-owned building that will have solar panels. KERI BROWN/WFDD

The City of Winston-Salem is investing in solar power to help meet future clean energy goals. The first project is slated for one of its main downtown facilities.

Solar panels will be installed on the roof of the Bryce A. Stuart Municipal Building. It's part of an initiative to grow sustainability and help reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Mayor Allen Joines and City Council approved a resolution in 2020 that focuses on city operations. The goal is to use 50% clean and renewable energy for its buildings and vehicle fleets where feasible by 2030 with a complete transition to clean and renewable in all city operations by 2050.

Helen Peplowski is the sustainability director for the City of Winston-Salem. She says the project is an important first step.

“We are stepping up and adding to that skyline, that Winston-Salem skyline. We are putting our solar in a downtown location partially for that reason, to really make our footprint visible and I'm really excited to see what else it leads to," says Peplowski.

The city has earmarked over $250,000 for solar installation for its facilities. The plans include a visual display at the building to bring awareness and education to visitors about the new solar project.

As for energy savings, Peplowski says the city estimates the project will save around 110,000-kilowatt hours annually.

Installation is expected to take place by the end of the year.

Follow WFDD's Keri Brown on Twitter @kerib_news

Keri Brown is a multi-award winning reporter and host at 88.5 WFDD. She has been honored with two regional Edward R. Murrow awards for her stories about coal ash, and was named the 2015 radio reporter of the year by the Radio Television Digital News Association of the Carolinas (RTDNAC).Although she covers a variety of topics, her beats are environmental and education reporting.Keri comes to the Triad from West Virginia Public Broadcasting, where she served as the Chief Bureau Reporter for the Northern Panhandle. She produced stories for the state's Public Television and Radio programs and was honored by the West Virginia Associated Press Broadcasters Association for her feature and enterprise reporting.She also served as an adjunct instructor at Wheeling Jesuit University and Bethany College in West Virginia. She worked with the Center for Educational Technologies in Wheeling, WV, and other NASA centers across the country to develop several stories about the use of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) concepts in the classroom.Keri's journalism career began at WTRF-TV 7 in Wheeling. She worked in several roles at the station, including the head assignment editor. She also was a field producer and assignment manager at WPGH-TV Fox 53 in Pittsburgh.Keri is a graduate of Ohio University. When she's not in the studio or working on a story, she enjoys watching college football with her family, cooking, and traveling.Keri is always looking for another great story idea, so please share them with her. You can follow her on Twitter @kerib_news.

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