Mayor’s Leadership Council to review solar project Thursday, Feb. 3
Posted February 2nd, 2011 – Press Releases
Prior to their monthly meeting at Desert AIDS Project on Thursday, February 3, members of the Mayor’s Leadership Council will g
ather at 3:45 PM to view the completed solar collector project installed on carport roofs of the Vista Sunrise apartment complex on D.A.P.’s campus at 1695 N. Sunrise Way in Palm Springs.
The Leadership Council – whose partners include the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, Desert Regional Medical Center, the Desert Water Agency, the Palm Springs Economic Development Corporation, Southern California Edison, and Southern California Gas Company, among others – works to help create a more sustainable community in Palm Springs.
“Supporting this solar project on our campus was very important for D.A.P. in our ongoing efforts to promote ‘greener’ energy consumption while finding ways to be even more fiscally responsible to the needs of low-income people living with HIV or AIDS,” said David Brinkman, CEO of Desert AIDS Project. “Simply put, solar energy is not only a great way to decrease carbon emissions into our atmosphere but it also helps save a significant amount of money by contributing to the power grid. That’s the kind of socially-responsible bargain that D.A.P. couldn’t pass up.”
Through Sunwheel Energy Partners, the carport-roof solar project was undertaken at no expense to D.A.P. and largely completed over a two-month period, in order to have minimum impact on residents at the Vista Sunrise apartments. “Since California is requiring 30% of our energy to be made from renewable sources by the year 2020, this only made sense. Now, we’re eager to see just how much of a difference it will make in lowering electric bills for Vista Sunrise residents,” said Brinkman. Sunwheel estimates that this solar installation will offset about 40% of historical tenant usage and about 75% of historical common area usage.
The City of Palm Springs, along with the County of Riverside, The Auen Foundation, and the City of Palm Desert, continues to provide funding for D.A.P.’s Energy Efficiency Retrofitting Project. Installation of a cooling tower and replacement of rooftop air conditioning units with more efficient air handlers on D.A.P.’s main facility have already helped to reduce energy consumption. The cost savings realized allow those resources to support direct client services instead.
Desert AIDS Project is the organization in our community where people living with HIV and AIDS can receive comprehensive support, including medical care, case management, and social services. D.A.P. also offers free and confidential HIV testing at a number of locations throughout the communities it serves. To learn more about Desert AIDS Project, please call 760-323-2118 or find them on Facebook, Twitter, and You Tube.
