Myrtle Beach ahead of curve at going Green

Courtesy WPDE

The 2011 Minor League Baseball Promotional Seminar is heading to Myrtle Beach, S.C. from September 23 - 26. Aside from being one of the premier tourist destinations in the United States, this coastal resort city prides itself on being ahead of the curve in terms of "green" initiatives and efforts. Myrtle Beach features the largest solar power array (pictured right) in the state of South Carolina. The 311-kilowatt array, which was completed in April of this year, cost $1.3 million to install. In addition to being the first "Green Power" municipality in the state, Myrtle Beach has taken additional efforts to ensure the efficient use of energy in their city, including:

1. Residential recycling program city-wide, with volume up 30 percent in 2010.
2. Office paper and newspaper recycling programs in city buildings.
3. Aluminum and cardboard recycling program in city buildings. (The Myrtle Beach Convention Center Hotel, host venue of the Promotional Seminar, has dedicated recycling containers.)
4. Converted all traffic signals from incandescent bulbs to LEDs.
5. Installed motion-activated lighting throughout expanded Crabtree Memorial Gymnasium.
6. Retrofitted City Hall and Chapin Memorial Library with energy efficient windows.
7. Use alternative police vehicles in urban areas, including 15 bicycles, five Global Electric Motorcars and two T3 Electric Stand-Up Vehicles.
8. Purchased smaller police vehicles (Taurus, Fusion) for police detectives and administration.
9. Use smaller solid waste truck for downtown routes.
10. Created rain gardens at Myrtle Beach Intermediate School and Fire Station No. 4.
11. Tree City USA for 14 years.
12. Conducted energy audit with local energy supplier and implemented the following recommendations:

           - Use energy efficient lighting (T8 electronic ballasted lights and CFL bulbs)
           - Replace older, less efficient HVAC equipment
           - Use programmable thermostats
           - Reduce hours of operation for lake aerating fountains and decorative fountains
           - Design any new buildings for energy efficiency

To read more about Myrtle Beach's greening efforts, please visit here.