Warminster has Become a Clean Air Community

Committee helps township go green with solar panel
By: RICH PIETRAS The Intelligencer

Warminster has officially graduated to being a "Clean Air Community," and as a gift, will receive a $10,000 solar panel.

Gail Johnson, a member of the Warminster board of supervisors, proudly announced the news at last week's supervisors meeting for the effort that began almost a year ago.

Joining more than 20 other area municipalities, Warminster signed on with the nationwide nonprofit SmartPower in 2007 to find ways to use more clean energy.

The township pledged to purchase 20 percent of its energy from clean sources by 2010. But another part of the township's end of the bargain was to get at least seven percent of its residents, about 200, to agree to pay for 300 kilowatts of wind energy. By signing up, residents also agreed to pay $7 more on their energy bills.

But the effort was almost left twisting in the wind.

By August 2008 the township had only received about 50 of the needed 200 sign-ups.

Warminster voted to establish an Environmental Advisory Committee in September to help get the word out, but hadn't formed it until January.

But according to supervisor Johnson, whose wife Barbara is on the committee along with residents Jim Scott, Larry Menkes, Chuck Bristow and chairman Dan McPhilips, after the committee was formed, the movement got going.

In March, less than six weeks from the deadline for the required signups, fewer than 100 signatures were needed. Scott convinced Frank Feinberg, the president of the board, and others, to register during a March supervisors meeting where he explained the process.

"This money really goes toward the infrastructure for two wind farms located in the state," Scott said.

After informing the board last week of receiving more than 300 sign-ups, Gail Johnson informed the board the solar panel, which would be used on municipality property, would be arriving soon. The unit, which provides 1 kilowatt of power, can also be expanded to provide about 3 kilowatts for about $3,000, or enough to power an average home.

In addition to the panel, Warminster also received $20 for each signup, the proceeds of which will go toward open space programs, according to Gail Johnson.

Now that the EAC got the ball rolling for the solar panel, Gail Johnson, who works as the supervisor liaison for the committee, said it is now working toward getting LED street lighting, which uses less electricity. He's also encouraging energy audits for municipal buildings, like the recreation center.

"We're a green group of guys, we're into global warming and things like that, anything we can do to get more green we will look at."

SmartPower partnered with the state's Sustainable Development Fund to promote the campaign focusing on Philadelphia and surrounding counties because of limited funding for the panels and a limited amount of clean energy sources.

Rich Pietras can be reached at 215-345-3119 or rpietras@phillyburbs.com.



May 26, 2009