Eaton County is looking to go green at the courthouse and other buildings. County commissioners believe updating the energy efficiency at the county buildings will save the county thousands of dollars, which is money that can be spent on other things in the community. With parking lots covered with solar panels, you create energy for heating and electricity without relying on fossil fuels, helping you stay greener. Solar panel covered parking can help you get LEED certification since you can get up to seven points on EA Credit 2, also known as the "On-Site Renewable Energy" credit, with solar panels.
The canopy will provide electricity to the County building, as well as any electric vehicles parked onsite. This will help make this one of the most environmentally-friendly buildings in the State of Michigan. The sustainable properties of hot-dip galvanizing made for an easy decision when specifying this project. The long life expectancy and sacrificial properties of zinc made hot-dip galvanizing the best choice to keep this high profile project looking good for decades to come.
“Renewable energy is the way the private sector market is going. It’s appropriate at this time for county governments, local units of government and our state to lead the way.” -Jeremy Whittum, Eaton County Commissioner