Well, maybe “going solar” is a bit much, but living in Salt Lake City is about to get a little greener – which is great news for environmentalists and people who just like cheap energy bills.
According to The Salt Lake Tribune, SLC is building a new, 1-megawatt solar farm out on W. 500 South, with hopes of bringing it up and running by either late winter or early spring next year. The four-acre plant looks to generate enough energy to power 150 houses in Salt Lake City for an entire year!
The facility is being built to create energy for the new Public Safety Building, which opened earlier in the year. The idea is to use a combination of this new solar farm plus the building’s own rooftop solar panels to achieve a “net-zero” energy rating – meaning it generates as much power as it uses. The farm itself will cost $3 million to develop and is expected to pay for itself after a decade. While some local homeowners may be bummed to hear that this particular project won’t help with their utility bills, it’s a major step forward in that direction.
The solar farm will also have a huge environmental benefit as well, as it looks to save over 1,000 tons of harmful carbon emissions that would otherwise be pumped into the atmosphere.
SLC is always on the cutting edge of city life in America and these steps into energy efficiency are all part of that. If this sounds like your kind of town, let us know! A Salt Lake City real estate agent at Muve Real Estate can tell you everything you want to know about SLC, from the cost of living in Salt Lake City to available homes for sale.
