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Orange-Chatham Group (and Selected Other) Events

Solarize Orange County Info Session

Monday, October 27, 7 p.m.

Hanes Auditorium, Chapel Hill High School (1709 High School Rd., Chapel Hill; map)

This is a non-Sierra Club event that we are happy to share. The organizers say: "Our panel of experts will help you become fluent in home solar options, understand what tax incentives are available, learn about financing options, and answer all of your questions. And when your home goes solar, you help bring solar to our schools. " See the Solarize Outreach Events page.

Stories from the Tropics: The Adventures of a Budding Conservationist

Thursday, November 20, 6:15 p.m.

Chapel Hill Public Library (100 Library Dr., Chapel Hill; map, directions, and transit information)

Maggie Ernest is a Master of Environmental Management candidate at Duke University's Nicholas School of the Environment. She has worked and studied throughout the tropics for many years, including serving as a Peace Corps Volunteer in rural West Africa. Her passion for the tropics has been built on the many experiences she's had there - from visiting a shaman in Peru to encounters with snakes in her latrine to spotting lemurs in Madagascar - wild places have shaped her into the conservationist she is today. In this talk, Maggie plans to relate some of these adventures while examining the issues that threaten these wild places.

RSVP Information (optional).

Sierra Club Holiday Party

December (exact date and location to be determined)

Keep your eye out for more details on where and when this event will be held.

Executive Committee Meetings

Fourth Tuesday of each month, 7 p.m.

Carolina Meadows

All members are welcome to join the Executive Committee in the discussion of issues and projects. Contact Judith Ferster (see below) for further information.

Orange County Issues New State of the Environment Report

Orange County has released its 2014 State of the Environment Report (95-page PDF), an excellent source of information for anyone interested in the environmental resources and issues in our area. Check it out!

Sierra Club Endorsements in 2014 Election

The Sierra Club proudly endorses the following candidates in our area for the 2014 general election:

• U.S. Senate: Kay Hagan
• U.S. House of Representatives: David Price
• NC Supreme Court:
  • Sam J. Ervin IV
  • Robin Hudson
  • Mark Martin
• NC Court of Appeals:
  • Mark Davis
  • Lucy Inman
• NC House of Representatives:
  • District 50: Graig Meyer
  • District 54: Robert Reives II
  • District 56: Verla Insko
• Chatham County Commissioners:
  • District 1: Karen Howard
  • District 3: Diana Hales
  • District 4: Jim Crawford
• Orange County Commissioners:
  • At-Large: Barry Jacobs
  • District 1: Mia Burroughs

For a complete listing of endorsed candidates in North Carolina, visit http://nc2.sierraclub.org/2014endorsements.

Orange-Chatham Group Executive Committee Ballots to be Sent Out

If you're an Orange-Chatham Group member, watch for information about voting for the Orange-Chatham Group Executive Committee. The North Carolina chapter's annual report, to be mailed in November, will include details about how to vote.

Students Make Progress with UNC Investments

by the UNC Sierra Student Coalition

Since 2011, the UNC Sierra Student Coalition has been campaigning for the university to divest its $2.2 billion endowment from the coal industry. Based on environmental, public health, and economic concerns, the members of the group have been working with the administration to advocate for more sustainable investment choices.

On Wednesday, September 24, the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill Board of Trustees unanimously passed a resolution in favor of clean energy investments. The resolution called for UNC Management Company "to research targeted investment for the University's endowment assets that advance environment friendly clean energy strategies."

This achievement is an important step in the right direction for the university. While divesting from coal is our campaign's larger goal, we are incredibly excited that this resolution was passed. The UNC Sierra Student Coalition is grateful of the Board's willingness to collaborate with students on this issue, and we look forward to continuing this conversation.

My Neighbor's Solar Panels

by Olga Grlic, Orange-Chatham Group Co-Chair

Photo by Olga Grlic.

A new solar array appeared on the roof of my neighbors Kim and Scott Glasser's south-facing garage roof so I went to see them and find out how that happened.

OG: What made you think of installing photovoltaic solar panels on your roof?

SG: When we moved to this house we noticed that the garage roof was getting a lot of sun. We have been thinking for a while about ways to reduce our carbon footprint. Our son works for the State Department in Washington, DC, on climate change and its impacts. Lowering carbon emissions and energy self-sufficiency are of concern for national defense. We need to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels. I believe that global warming is the greatest existential threat facing humanity. There is a large number of people already affected by climate change in low-lying countries all over the world. Our son traveled to places like Bangladesh and witnessed the precarious situation there.

OG: How did you go about choosing contractors for your installation?

SG: I heard through the grape vine that our Chapel Hill postcode was included in the "Solarize Carrboro" initiative and I contacted them. They referred us to Yes! Solar Solutions, their chosen contractor. A representative came to our house to assess the feasibility of the project, surface area, tree cover, electrical box capacity, etc. Once they determined that a photovoltaic system would be appropriate for our site, they sent us a proposal which contained the number of panels, estimates of the amounts of power generated, service panel compatibility and explained how the system worked.

OG: How did you calculate the economic benefits of the installation?

SG: By working through "Solarize Carrboro" we benefited from group purchasing, the contractors' costs are lower and the savings are passed on to the clients. We were also able to take advantage of state and federal tax breaks which reduced the price by a third. Yes! Solar helped with the paperwork. Other benefits include energy savings — on a sunny day, we hope to generate about as much electricity as we consume. The excess power which we are not using flows back to the electrical grid and we get a credit for it. The value of the property is enhanced by the solar array. The pay-back period for the initial investment is around 12 years, but the panels are guaranteed for 25 years. That means we can have many years of nearly free electricity.

Photo by Olga Grlic.

OG: How did the process work?

SG: After we accepted their proposal, Yes! Solar required a small deposit and ordered the panels and the inverter. When the construction started we paid a larger deposit and the balance was paid after the installation and final inspection.

OG: How satisfied are you with the whole process?

SG: On the whole we are satisfied and happy that we did it. There were some complications initially — the contractors did not notice that our roof shingles were too old and brittle. They needed replacing before the work could be done so we wasted some time. I also think that we might have added another row of panels to the system — there is less shading by the house than estimated. However, staying with 3.5-kilowatt system meant that we did not need to dig through the lawn in order to connect to a different service panel, which would have been the case if we had installed the 5.25-kilowatt system.

OG: Do you have advice for anyone considering a similar installation through "Solarize Chapel Hill" or "Solarize Chatham"?

SG: I would recommend it as a way of reducing carbon emissions and electricity bills and I would advise anyone considering it to be an educated consumer — check the measurements, your roof's age and quality, and the need for additional infrastructure. Also, the state tax breaks are scheduled to expire at the end of 2015 and that should be part of the calculation.

More information sessions for Solarize are coming up. See our events listing on this page, or check the Solarize Outreach Events page.

Orange-Chatham Group Leaders

Executive Committee Members

Note: Each member's term ends in December of the year in parentheses.

• May Becker (2015) Group Co-chair tomatocutter "at" yahoo.com 969-7439
• Olga Grlic (2014) Group Co-chair and Calendar Sales Representative olgagrl "at" duke.edu 968-4318
• Dave Keesee (2014) Treasurer dskeesee "at" bellsouth.net 933-4879
• Melissa McCullough (2015) Secretary melissamccnc "at" gmail.com
• Judith Ferster (2014) Conservation Chair judith_ferster "at" ncsu.edu 929-6648
• Max Felsher (2015) Newsletter/Web/Listserv max.felsher "at" gmail.com 617-599-0669
• Jason Baker (2014) jason "at" jasonbaker.us 442-8278

Other Group Leaders

• Jae Furman Outings Chair and Interim Membership Chair SeeingTrees "at" gmail.com
• Loren Hintz Transportation Chair ldhintz "at" bellsouth.net 933-8987

Note: All phone numbers are in the 919 area code unless specifically indicated.