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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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State
Rep. Chelsa Wagner |
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Renewable energy grant awarded for South Hills High School redevelopment
MT. WASHINGTON, Oct. 21 – State Rep. Chelsa Wagner, D-Allegheny, announced that a $500,000 grant has been awarded for a renewable energy system in the soon-to-be redeveloped South Hills High School.
The former high school is undergoing a $25 million renovation to offer new rental apartments for seniors, commercial space and a health/wellness facility. On Monday, the Pennsylvania Energy Development Authority approved a $500,000 grant, awarded to project developer a.m. Rodriguez Associates, to leverage $2.58 million in local matching funds to install energy-efficient technology in the renovated facility.
"This is welcome state funding that will be used to install a new HVAC system that taps into renewable solar and thermal energy, saving money and energy, not to mention the air pollution it will prevent in the long run," Wagner said. "I commend the project's developers for choosing an environmentally friendly energy system."
Wagner said the project will create 16 permanent full-time jobs, two part-time jobs, and 10 temporary jobs. The new system is expected to save 45,000 gallons of water, 145,000 electric kilowatt hours and 847 million British Thermal Units of natural gas per year. In addition, it will prevent significant amounts of air pollution in the form of carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxide and mercury.
The HVAC system will use 20,000 square feet of solar collector tubes that will be incorporated into the sidewalks and parking lot pavement, as well as thermal energy storage and transfer components. The HVAC system will be cooled by an evaporative system that uses rain water collected automatically on-site.
The Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh is partnering with developer a.m. Rodriguez Associates, and Design By Us to complete the project.
"Since taking office, I’ve been advocating for this project, helping to secure $12 million in tax credits to enable the redevelopment, in light of its immediate and long-term importance to the Mt. Washington area," Wagner said.
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