State

Convention Center to rely partly on solar power

Tuesday, March 18, 2008 1:31 AM CDT

PHOENIX (AP) - Phoenix's convention center will soon be partially powered by solar energy.

Crews will install peel-and-stick solar panels next month on roughly a third of the two-acre roof on the convention center's West Building.

The $850,000 project will be the biggest solar-panel installation on a downtown Phoenix building, and it's the first time this type of solar-energy technology has been used by Phoenix, according to officials at Arizona Public Service, the state's largest utility.

City officials say the panels will probably only supply a small fraction of the power the building will use. The important thing is that the panels are a groundbreaking effort for Phoenix, said Councilman Greg Stanton, who oversees a city subcommittee on sustainability.

‘‘Phoenix and other governmental entities should show leadership on this issue,'' said Stanton.

The technology could also be used to provide a cheaper, easier, more attractive way to provide solar power to some existing buildings in the future.