Y eyes green power

The Waynesboro Family YMCA and locally-based Sigora Solar are working on a joint venture to install a solar thermal system at the Y, the organizations announced Wednesday.

The $103,000 project is scheduled to be completed in April and is being funded by a grant from the Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy.

Waynesboro YMCA Director Jeff Fife called it “one of the largest solar thermal projects in the state of Virginia,” and noted that the facility will save up to $13,000 a year in energy costs.

“It’s a win-win for the YMCA, and it’s a win-win for the community at-large,” Fife said. “Just by getting involved with a solar thermal project, it allows the Y to be more operationally efficient.”

Last year, the Waynesboro YMCA doled out more than $130,000 in scholarships and subsidies for needy youth and families, as well as active military members and their families. Through the savings it will incur with the solar thermal system, even more money will be able to go to such causes in coming years.

Besides the savings, Fife is excited that the Y is going green.

“This project gives us the opportunity to serve as a role model in the community and serve as a catalyst for healthy living and an environmental-friendly program,” he added.

Fife also recognized Bob and Patty Rouse of Waynesboro, who gave the YMCA a no-interest loan to cover the costs until the grant money is available in April. Once the funds come in, the YMCA will own the system.

Sigora Solar, which is serving as the engineer of the project, has been in operation since April 2011 and is headquartered in the River Town complex in downtown Waynesboro, some five blocks away from the Y.

The system they will be installing consists of 40 solar panels covering 1,600 square feet. It will work in conjunction with the building’s hot water and space-heating system.

The panels are manufactured in Florida, and Sigora Solar Chief of Operations Shawn Cooke pointed out the importance of purchasing American products. Each panel will hold about 1.6 gallons of water.

Sigora also will include a drain-back system, complete with a pumping station and downstairs holding tank, so that when the solar thermal system is not in operation, there will be no risk of the water freezing or overheating.

A differential temperature control will automatically manage the system’s temperature.

“One of the reasons we pushed for this project and the grant from the VDMME is because we strongly believe in being a part of our community,” Sigora Solar President Andy Bindea said. “We believe the best way to get involved is by doing what we do best.”

Bindea said that the Mines, Minerals and Energy Department grants program will end in April, and he was pleased that his business and the Y were able to work together and “squeeze in” the Waynesboro project before the deadline.

Sigora also has pledged to give $10,000 to the Y after the project is completed.

In addition to the solar thermal system, a new cardio room and renovated ladies locker room will be unveiled at the Y in April.