Forest City, NC — Facebook’s Forest City Data Center celebrated its grand opening in Rutherford County on Thursday, April 19, after completing the site’s first building and beginning to serve user traffic from the facility.

Facebook’s Vice President of Site Operations Tom Furlong and Data Center Manager George Henry joined NC Deputy Commerce Secretary Dale Carroll, members of the legislative delegation, Rutherford County Commission Chair Julius Owens, Forest City Mayor Dennis Tarlton, and more than 300 “friends” for a celebration at the facility.

"Our Forest City data center is among the most advanced and most energy efficient facility of its kind," Furlong said. "We want to thank the thousands of people involved, in North Carolina and beyond, for coming together to build and staff a world-class facility in less than a year and a half. This is an amazing accomplishment, and it wouldn’t have been possible if we hadn’t worked so well together."

“We are proud that Facebook chose to make North Carolina a ‘friend.’ The feeling is certainly mutual,” said Governor Bev Perdue. "The data center has come together with remarkable speed, thanks to the strong relationship between the company and our state and local resources. The investment and jobs at the data center is a boon to that region of the state, and helps confirm North Carolina’s distinction as a global business destination.”

As a part of the celebration of Energy Star's 20th anniversary, three organizations in North Carolina were honored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) with the 2012 Energy Star award.  This award was given because of their outstanding leadership and commitment to protecting America’s environment through superior energy efficiency.

• Swedish retailer IKEA will install a solar panel array on the roof of its Charlotte store by next summer, The Charlotte Observer reported. The plan is part of IKEA's program to add solar panels to nine stores and one distribution center in the southern U.S. The Charlotte store, which opened in 2009, will support 4,214 solar panels that will generate an estimated 1,330,000 kilowatt hours a year, or the energy required to power about 114 average homes.
• Progress Energy and Duke Energy say a Chevy Volt or home charger were not to blame for an Iredell County house fire. Garland Cloer, Iredell County's chief deputy fire marshal, said it appears the fire did not start in the electric car. He wouldn't say more about the fire's origin, because investigators for several agencies and manufacturers are still examining the debris.
• Wilmington was one of two cities to receive the Susan M. Burgess Sustainability Award by the N.C. League of Municipalities. The city was recognized for numerous sustainability initiatives including fuel efficiency and energy efficiency projects.

NCSEA Managing Director Paul Quinlan traveled to Atlanta Thursday, December 8 to speak at two separate energy events.

Quinlan was part of a panel discussion about "Megatrends and Drivers in Southeast Energy Efficiency Policy and Programs" at the Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance’s annual membership meeting.  The event was at the Hands On Atlanta Headquarters in Atlanta. Other panelists included Mike Couick, President and CEO of The Electric Co-Operatives of South Carolina and Angela Strickland, Director of Energy Efficiency, Georgia Power. Steve Levitas of Kilpatrick Townsend is the moderator. The Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance promotes energy efficiency for a cleaner environment, a more prosperous economy and a higher quality of life in the Southeastern region of the United States.

He was also part of a panel discussion about success stories for The Southeast Agriculture and Forest Energy Resources (SAFER) Alliance and the 25x’25 Alliance's Southern Bioenergy Networks meeting. The event explored how to build a stronger bioenergy network to promote and develop the bioenergy industry. To see the agenda, click here.

North Carolina is leading the Southeast in the emerging clean energy economy. Below is a small sampling of what's happening across our state. Click on each link to learn more about these recent innovations, announcements and advancements. (And, remember to forward your announcements to amneris@energync.org, if you would like your information posted on NCSEA's website and included in our eNews.).

Wake Tech automotive instructor Rich Cregar was named a “Champion of Change” by the White House for his role in preparing workers for careers in sustainable transportation technologies.

Watagua High School plans to install a 35-foot wind turbine, as a tool that could bolster hands-on education for students and offset the school's energy bills.

A 3 megawatt solar project in Lilesville, about 60 miles east of Charlotte, is being planning for North Carolina. Not long ago 3 megawatts would have been unprecedented in size in North Carolina, but in recent months several projects have been proposed at 4.5 megawatts and 5 megawatts.

Manufacturer FMC Lithium is making a $50 million investment in Gaston County.

Duke Energy Renewables has acquired three 1-megawatt (MW) commerical solar projects in the southwestern corner of NC.

RALEIGH, N.C. – North Carolina continues to recover from one of the longest recessions in our nation’s history – marked by ongoing high unemployment. Retaining jobs and fostering economic development has become a priority for businesses, policymakers and residents across the state. Since the passage of the Southeast’s first renewable energy and energy efficiency law in 2007, the clean energy sectors – broadly categorized as renewable energy and energy efficiency – have burst onto the scene and are found in every region of the state.

North Carolina boasts an international smart grid cluster, two of the 50 fastest growing companies in the nation (both are renewable energy companies), and regional initiatives, including the Evolve Energy Partnership, Charlotte New Energy Capital and the Research Triangle CleanTech Cluster.

These assets are supported by a diverse sector with industry activities across all major focus areas. In only a few short years, the clean energy sector has become a North Carolina success story and a valued component of our state’s economic landscape.

These and other findings are outlined in the 2011 Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency Industries Census. The NC Sustainable Energy Association (NCSESA) presented the Census during its annual Making Energy Work conference on Wednesday Nov. 9 at the Raleigh Convention Center.

“One of the key findings of the 2011 census is that the clean energy sector in North Carolina is really a statewide sector. While we do find concentrations of specific technologies like Smart Grid in the Research Triangle, we have found that in addition to the major city hubs like Charlotte and Raleigh, there is an ever-increasing physical presence of firms in the clean energy sector in areas like Hickory, Boone and other areas,” said Rich Crowley, Manager of Market Research & Spatial Analysis for the NC Sustainable Energy Association. “It is important to note that this is using a conservative metric – companies are actually reporting these locations. Unlike national surveys that use large top down database approaches, the NCSEA industry clean energy sector maps are locations that companies are verifying in 2011. In short, there is much more certainty and accuracy with the NCSEA maps since it’s coming directly from industry.”

Three different events in the city last week showcased clean energy.

• The Charlotte Chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council had its annual signature event on Oct. 27 at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel. NCSEA was a sponsor of the event and worked with the Council to  promote energy efficiency, green building and renewable energy. The Charlotte event attracted more than 250 people. Featured speakers were race car driver, Leilani Munter and clean energy advocate, Jerome Ringo.

North Carolina is leading the Southeast in the emerging clean energy economy. Below is a small sampling of what's happening across our state. Click below on each link to learn more about these recent innovations, announcements and advancements.  (And, remember to forward your announcements to amneris@energync.org if you would like your information posted on NCSEA's website and included in our eNews.)

North Carolina’s fourth annual sales tax holiday on Energy Star products runs Friday, Nov. 4, through Sunday, Nov.6. During those days, certain Energy Star-qualifiedproducts that meet energy-efficiency guidelines set by the EPA and the Department of Energy are exempt from sales and use taxes.  

The Biltmore Estate announced plans to install 5,000 solar panels on six acres. The project will be completed over two months at a cost of $5.2 million.  It will be one of the largest solar arrays in North Carolina.

Gov. Bev Perdue recognized Appalachian State University students and faculty for their participation in the U.S. Department of Energy’s Solar Decathlon 2011 international competition. Perdue signed a proclamation declaring Oct. 28-Nov. 4 as Appalachian State University Solar Homestead Week.

Cape Fear Solar Systems, LLC, has completed a commercial installation of a solar water heating system at the newly opened Cape Fear Farmer’s Market in Elizabethtown, NC. The solar thermal system will enable this renovated building to benefit from the sun’s energy and offset the majority of the town’s monthly expenses related to hot water heating.

"Using solar in new construction is a forward thinking approach to managing water heating costs as all new buildings have a water heater in the budgeted. With a slightly higher investment up front for a solar thermal system, property owners can profit from 25 plus years of free hot water, courtesy of the sun," says John Donoghue, President of the Wilmington based Cape Fear Solar Systems, LLC.

NC Sustainable Energy Association’s Executive Director Ivan Urlaub and Solar and Renewable Energy Industry Specialist Miriam Makhyoun acquired inside knowledge into community energy at Solar Power International in Dallas the week of Oct. 17. Community energy includes anything above one customer and one meter. It is not yet a reality in North Carolina.

At SPI, Urlaub and Makhyoun attended two sessions where they learned from utility companies and local leaders who have designed successful programs that work for their communities. The three basic models for community energy include the following: Utility-Sponsored, Special Purpose Entity (SPE), and Nonprofit “Buy-a-Brick” models (U.S. Department of Energy, Guide to Community Solar, 2011). The three main types of meter configurations include: virtual net metering (across a number of noncontiguous properties), meter aggregation (for multiple meters such as farmers), and joint-billing for multiple customers.