Sound Associates joins the Broadway community in going green by installing solar panels as an alternate way to generate electricity
Yonkers, NY, April 16,2009 - Sound Associates, Inc. has installed new rooftop solar-panel array that will supply as much as a quarter of its energy needs.
Sound Associates, Inc. at 979 Saw Mill River Road, Yonkers, New York installed a 25,000-watt array of 150 photovoltaic panels. Richard Fitzgerald, the chief executive, said his company's decision to reduce energy consumption stemmed from an imperative in New York City's performing arts industry." We build systems for the Broadway community, and they have this very big impetus to go green, and they're working on theaters to make them more efficient," said Fitzgerald, a Tony Award-winning sound designer. "Since we're part of that community, it's time to look at other ways to generate electricity."
The $200,000 project received financial assistance from the state Energy Research and Development Authority, which paid about half of the cost under its Solar Electric Incentive Program. The program offers $13.8 million in cash incentives to eligible applicants.
Fitzgerald estimated the investment would pay for itself in three years. The panels, installed by Akeena Solar of Los Gatos, Calif., will produce the company's entire weekend electricity needs. The panels' photovoltaic cells essentially convert sunlight into direct current and then into alternating current, with no moving parts.
The panels were installed at an angle on the company's south-facing roof, with the high end about 30 inches above the roof and the low end about 6 inches. Fitzgerald said he hoped to double the number of panels eventually.
Sound Associates is an innovative professional audio company with locations in New York City, Yonkers and Atlanta. The company was founded in 1946 and has services ranging from audio and video rental, consultation and design, to installation and assistive technology.
