CASA has installed 407 panels to create a rooftop solar system. Officials expect to use the savings to fund projects to help fight domestic violence in Pinellas.

ST. PETERSBURG – CASA has installed an array of solar panels on the roof of its new domestic violence center.

The project was fully funded through a public-private partnership between the Pinellas County Community Development Block Grant Program, CASA and a private donor. Installation was completed by Solar Energy Management, a locally-owned firm selected through a competitive bidding process.

The array has 407 solar panels to create a 130-kilowatt rooftop solar system. The system is estimated to save on 5,208 ton of carbon dioxide and gives the same effect as planing about 121,346 trees.

CASA officials said the system is expected not only to help the environment but also save on the shelter’s significantly monthly electric bill by an average of 70 percent to 80 percent each year throughout the 25+ year life-expectancy of the solar power system. These savings will be used to fund CASA’s programs helping survivors of domestic violence attain safety for themselves and their children.

CASA, Community Action Stops Abuse, was founded in 1977. The agency’s shelter provides a safe refuge, crisis intervention, advocacy, prevention, professional training, outreach, and community education to end domestic violence and bring hope, independence and peace to families in southern Pinellas County.

For information about CASA, go to casa-stpete.org.

CASA | Solar Energy | Environment | Solar Power | Alternative Energy | TB Reporter

#CASA #SolarEnergy #Environment #SolarPower #AlternativeEnergy #TBReporter