Funding now raised for eight solar roof panels

The funds have been raised for at least eight solar panels in memory of Palouse’s Mike Carlton. The solar panels will be on the roof of the soon-to-be-built Palouse Community Center and will partially provide the electrical needs of the building.

In tandem with the solar panel project, the center in mid-June learned it was awarded a $20,000 grant from the Inland Northwest Community Foundation. The grant will pay for a special heating and cooling system for the building that conserves energy at a much higher rate than most other systems.

Carlton, a leading proponent for solar and wind energy, died last October after an episode with hypoglycemia. A close friend of Dave and Sharon Tharp of Palouse, Carlton helped the couple install 24 solar panels on the roof of their Palouse house last year.

The Tharps have raised more than $10,304 for the community center panels in memory of Carlton. Sharon Tharp said what started as a memorial for Carlton has evolved into a full-scale project to provide green energy for the new center.

“It’s going to generate a good share of the electricity,” said Tharp.

The Tharps have used their solar panels for one full year and according to Avista, they have produced 4,850 kilowatts of energy. They received a $1,200 refund from the company for the energy made by their solar panels.

Sharon Tharp said she hopes the eight panels they have planned for the center will provide years of energy savings for the building. In the end, the Tharps hope to have a computer program set up in the center that tracks the daily output of the panels for passersby to read.

The Community Center board opened the bids for the construction of the project June 16. The architect for the project helped the board select a contractor June 27 and a contract offer has been extended. The board has declined to report the bid amounts until a contract is signed for construction of the building.