Historic Armory fitted with panels for solar power

Former mayor Alan DeBoer has seen the light and is using it to power his building.

He installed 56 solar panels on top of the three-story Historic Ashland Armory that will provide enough electricity for the auditorium and offices inside.

"It's in a perfect location and it has a perfect roof for solar. There's no shade on the roof," DeBoer said. "I thought this was a great opportunity to use solar and a great opportunity for me to see how it works."

The solar installation, completed earlier this month, will provide 11,200 watts of energy to the almost 30,000-square-foot building on Oak Street.

DeBoer's brother-in-law Jim Green, who owns Green Meadows Construction, installed the Sanyo panels.

"I believe this is the largest array of solar panels on any private building in Ashland," Green said.

DeBoer said he became interested in switching to solar five years ago, but only recently found a company that would put panels on the 96-year-old building. He has owned the armory since 1998, two years before he was elected mayor.

Although DeBoer may eventually save money through solar, he sees his decision to go off the electrical grid as a way to save the environment.

"It certainly wasn't a monetary decision, because it's terribly expensive to install. The environment is a concern for all of us," he said.

On average, it takes between 10 and 20 years for someone to start saving money on solar panels, because of high installation costs, Green said. However, the armory received several city, state and federal tax credits and rebates, so the installation could pay off sooner, he added.

DeBoer's electricity bill used to be between $1,300 and $1,700 each month. A few years ago he installed compact florescent bulbs inside, which helped reduce electricity use.

Concerts and events for up to 800 people are routinely held in the auditorium, which has a full light and sound system. The building also uses five heating and air conditioning units, Green said.

Even though most Ashland buildings don't use near the amount of energy the armory does, he thinks more home and business owners will make the change to solar in the coming years.

"In the next 10 years I think solar is going to become much more popular, more technologically advanced and more affordable," Green said.