By Luke Alison

Site #1: Solar Panels

Lylburn-Downing Middle School in Rockbridge county generates electric power from solar panels installed above their gymnasium and cafeteria. These solar panels generate 25% of the school’s annual electricity requirements and save the school district $3,800 per year. Not only does this benefit the school, but the production of solar panels creates jobs for engineers and local electricians. The school plans on installing a solar picnic table in their courtyard to give the students a more hands-on experience with solar panels as they will be able to charge their phones from the table.

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Site #2: Cell Tower

There is a cell tower located along highway 64 across the street from Vallance Way. I chose this cell tower because I was curious where cell towers are located in Rockbridge county. I found that this cell tower provides cell service to all citizens in the surrounding area who use AT&T services. My brother is in the class of 2020 and we have been living in his house on Furrs Mill Road for some time during this quarantine. Being an AT&T user and spending a good amount of time near this cell tower, I can safely say that it provides valuable services.

Site #3: Solar Panels

A solar power array can also be found at Washington and Lee University’s campus. The school generates electric power from solar panels installed over the parking garage and law school. I picked this site because being a student, I was curious to learn more about W&L’s energy use. 1,016 SunPower solar PV panels are installed on the roof of the las school building, Lewis Hall, and has a capacity of 325 kilowatts. The smaller of the two has 540 Sanyo solar PV panels with a capacity of 119 kilowatts and can be found on a custom-built steel canopy over the University’s parking deck.

Site #4: Data Center

The RANA data center was created in 2009 by Rockbridge County, Lexington and Buena Vista cities, along with Washington and Lee University to promote and provide high speed big broadband fiber infrastructure for the area localities. Its purpose is to transform the regional economy from a depressed manufacturing environment to a dynamic, small business, and entrepreneurial economy. This is expected to spawn new businesses, generate jobs, create wealth, and protect the rural character of the region.