Red Hook Recreation Area

The Daily Plant : Wednesday, November 13, 2013

'Solar For Sandy' Initiative Launches

‘Solar for Sandy’ Install at Red Hook Recreation Center Brings Back-Up Solar Power to Brooklyn Community Devastated by Hurricane Sandy; Project Marks One-Year Anniversary of Superstorm

Global Green USA recently announced that NYC Parks’ Red Hook Recreation Center in Brooklyn is the first official beneficiary of its ‘Solar For Sandy’ resiliency initiative. Designed to bring grid-tied, back-up solar energy systems to five or more community facilities that serve urban areas hit hardest by the superstorm, the ‘Solar for Sandy’ initiative was announced last June at the Clinton Global Initiative America. Global Green’s inaugural ‘Solar For Sandy’ installation will take place in collaboration with lead funder IKEA, the world’s largest home furnishings retailer, which has a store just a few blocks from the recreation center and with support from NYC Parks.

The announcement was held near the one-year anniversary of the hurricane that overwhelmed the East Coast last October when Sandy wreaked havoc on the historic Brooklyn neighborhood, leaving the Red Hook Recreation Center and local residents without power for weeks. The catalytic ‘Solar For Sandy’ program will provide an indispensable resource to this resilient community as it continues to rebuild and recover from the aftermath of the storm.

The solar installation will provide essential back-up energy capacity, help mitigate future power blackouts and provide expanded emergency services, making the recreation center a safe and reliable haven during crises. Upon completion of the build, the Red Hook community will have access to critical resiliency features, including:

• A safe, lit and centrally-located gathering point;
• Heating, cooling and ventilation;
• Communications services, such as cell phone and laptop charging stations;
• Energy efficient lights;
• Refrigeration for food and emergency medicine.

Furthermore, the solar system will produce energy on an ongoing basis, lowering energy bills and resulting in overall savings for the Recreation Center.

At this inaugural site, Global Green USA will install solar panels donated by Suntech Power Holdings Co. This installation is a model that Global Green hopes becomes standard in community and emergency centers in low lying, vulnerable areas. The Red Hook Recreation Center, one of 35 NYC Parks Recreation Centers citywide, offers cardio equipment, weight lifting, and exercise classes. In the summer, the park hosts an Olympic sized outdoor pool which draws thousands of visitors every year.

QUOTATION FOR THE DAY

"My doctor told me to stop having intimate dinners for four.
Unless there are three other people."

Orson Welles
(1915 - 1985)