SustainFloyd Energy Working Group
Team Members: Rick Brown, Woody Crenshaw, Dave Albee, Mike Burton, Billy Weitzenfeld
Chair: Co-Chairs Rick Brown and Billy Weitzenfeld
Aim: The working group’s aim is to identify energy related projects that fall within the SustainFloyd (SF) mission and serve the community.
Purpose: Our purpose is to plan, develop, and implement energy projects that not only educate but are hands-on and functional. We believe that the best form of education is interactive.
Mission: Our mission is to promote and facilitate the concept of sustainable energy – energy that meets our needs without doing harm now or in the future – and educate the community about energy conservation, energy efficiency, and renewable energy.
Main Accomplishments
SustainFloyd Solar Voltzwagon, which is a 6×12 utility trailer equipped with 1500 watts of solar PV and has been used to provide clean and renewable electricity at the SustainFloyd Farmers Market and other event around the community and the region. Our hope is that this project will inform people, inspire people, and enable people to make solar a practical part of their lives. This is an example of our effort to use functional, working systems to educate and inform the public. Read more.
SustainFloyd Solar Home Ramble. This was a solar home tour in Floyd County with 12 solar sites that represented a wide variety of solar system sizes and installations. The tour sold 90 tickets, used volunteers at each site, and included a reception, which was very well attended, at the end of the day. The reception included food and drink, presentations and conversation. This is another example of our effort to provide education and information through an interactive process. Read more.
Floyd County Energy Inventory. In 2009 the committee commissioned a study of the county’s emissions and energy usage. The report, completed by Dr. Sean McGinnis of Virginia Tech, summarizes a baseline analysis and inventory of the energy usage, carbon emissions, and criteria air pollutants for Floyd, County, VA, for 2009. Read more.