Raleigh Convention Center to Install Rooftop Solar Panels

Raleigh, N.C. - The Silver LEED Certified Raleigh Convention Center has announced it's getting
even greener with the installation of a 500-kilowatt solar photovoltaic array on the rooftop of the
building. The panels will take up about 60 percent of the rooftop space of the convention center, and
early estimates expect the panels to generate approximately 725,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity
annually, reducing carbon dioxide emissions by more than 1,300 tons annually. Construction of the
rooftop solar array is expected to begin in January, with completion in April.

The energy the solar panels will produce is roughly equivalent to the annual energy use of 100 homes in
North Carolina. This renewable energy will be sold to Progress Energy Carolinas with the City of Raleigh
having the option to buy the system and harnessed energy in the future.

"The Raleigh Convention Center and The City of Raleigh have worked tirelessly on numerous
sustainability projects including being awarded Silver LEED Certification, surrounding the convention
center with LED lights, being designated a LED City, installing solar panels - just to name a few," said
Roger Krupa, Raleigh Convention Center Director. " The sum total of all of these initiatives makes us a
substantial planner for a green future."

The Raleigh Convention Center, from construction to present, has earned the reputation of being
committed to sustainability practices evident in its energy-efficient design, proximity to mass transit and
recycling efforts. The City of Raleigh also takes sustainability seriously with projects and initiatives
including; LED lighting, public utilization of alternative fuel vehicles, electric vehicle charging stations and
partnerships with local researchers at N.C. State University to discover environmentally friendly
breakthroughs. Raleigh is home to the state headquarters of groups such as the N.C. Sustainable Energy
Association and the Sierra Club.

Numerous groups focused on making their meetings green or having organizational missions of
sustainability have previously or are hosting upcoming meetings at the Raleigh Convention Center:

  • Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education - November 9-11, 2008
  • Environmental Educators of North Carolina - November 5-8, 2009
  • National Solar Conference - May 17-21, 2011
  • Plug-In 2011 National Conference & Expo - July 17-21, 2011