The Marin County Fire Department dedicated its new environmentally friendly, state-of-the-art Throckmorton Ridge fire station. The new station features a 38 kW solar photovoltaic (PV) system designed and installed by SPG Solar, Inc. of San Rafael, CA.

Aiming for LEED Gold Certification, Station Setting Green Example for Community

May 17, 2007 (Mill Valley, CA) The Marin County Fire Department dedicated its new environmentally friendly, state-of-the-art Throckmorton Ridge fire station. The new station features a 38 kW solar photovoltaic (PV) system designed and installed by SPG Solar, Inc. of San Rafael, CA. In addition, the station also has a new geothermal system and a host of green building materials.

The station replaces one that has served the department since the mid 1950's to better suit the needs of today's fire service. The station's solar energy system is made up of 232 Kyocera 200-watt modules and ten Fronius IG-4500 inverters and will provide over 40% of the station's annual electricity needs, with an expected production of over 67,000 kWh each year.

With an inspiration to pursue a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold certification, the station also features natural light and ventilation, green carpeting, flooring, insulation and structure steel and the implementation of a waste diversion program during its construction. The LEED certification process provides a format to create a project that is sustainable in a global sense as well as healthy and comfortable for the building occupants.

"This station reflects two important goals of the County; to provide for a sustainable future and encourage community partnerships. From concept to completion, these values helped to drive the project forward," said Ken Massucco, Marin County Fire Department Chief. "Needless to say, this station will serve as a model for other fire departments to emulate across the State and country."

"We commend the Marin County Fire Department and Throckmorton Ridge Station for their commitment to the environment and to the community through their use of clean, renewable energy and abundant application of green materials. Over a 25-year period, the Throckmorton Ridge station is expected to displace over 2 million pounds of greenhouse gas emissions" said Dan Thompson, President and CEO of SPG Solar.

About SPG Solar, Inc.
SPG Solar, Inc. (SPG) is a leading integrated developer, designer, and installer of solar photovoltaic (PV) systems for homes, businesses, agriculture and large-scale commercial and government facilities, with over 900 solar PV installations and 5 locations throughout California. SPG Solar is committed to building the highest-performing solar PV systems with the highest return on investment. For more information, please visit www.spgsolar.com.

About Marin County Fire Department
Headquartered in Woodacre, CA, the Marin County Fire Department has over eighty members and 6 stations throughout Marin County. Its firefighters routinely provide first aid and rescue services to sick and injured citizens. For more information, please visit http://marincountyfire.mywsssite.com.