Children’s center receives solar gift

By Richie Ann Ashcraft
Wednesday, July 21, 2010

The Western Slope Center for Children received the gift of solar electricity Wednesday afternoon from High Noon Solar.

The 9.89 kilowatt system will produce 40 percent of the center’s electricity need making it a gift that will continue to give for years to come.

“We’d just like to express our gratitude for this tremendous donation,” said Shari Zen, executive director of the center.

The 43 panel system it tied to a solar grid which doesn’t use any battery storage or other supplements to produce or store energy. This make the system virtually maintenance free.

Retail value of the system is estimated near $65,000.

“People are seeing summer rates going up with Xcel so this system is only going to get more valuable, not less valuable,” said Heidi Ihrke, co-owner of the High Noon Solar.

The company makes two solar system donations to the community a year. Ihrke said this year the center and Latimer House were selected to receive the system based on the good they are doing for humanity. “I can’t think of anything that helps people more than helping children,” Ihrke said.

Zen said the solar system would save nearly $400 per month making it possible to provide more services to children who have been victims of abuse.

“This will provide a cushion in our budget that will help us contain our services,” Zen said.

The Western Slope Center for Children is a child advocacy center that treats nearly 300 children and their families annually who are victims of sexual abuse. No child is turned away. The center houses every aspect of victim needs from forensic medical testing to counseling.

The solar system for the Latimer House should be installed by early fall.