The Greenish Strand | Area projects tap into sustainable living

CONWAY -- Known for its reverence of history, Conway is now aiming to become Horry County's city of the future.

The green future.

The city has replaced almost all of its full-size police cars with smaller, more fuel-efficient models, is embarking on a project to upgrade light bulbs in city buildings, will be the site for one of eight to 10 electric vehicle recharging stations in Horry County and has contracted to build the area's first solar power generating plant.

"We've been trying to do a lot of green initiatives," said Larry Schilling, the city's procurement officer.

Similar things are happening in other Horry County cities, including a wind power project in North Myrtle Beach. Taken together, they may not transform the Grand Strand into the Green Strand, but they could have it on its way to becoming the Greenish Strand.

Conway is using $100,000 of its share in a Department of Energy block grant to build the solar power station, which will generate 20.68 kilowatts of electricity that will be used to offset the power bill at the city's public works complex.

Schilling said the block grant initially called for a maximum 9 kilowatt hour plant, but that was changed to let recipients get all the power they could for $100,000. The plant will take up a space nearly 22 feet by more than 73 feet in the complex that has four large buildings. The city hopes power from the plant will offset about one month's cost each year for the complex's electricity, or between $3,200 and $3,500.

The city will also upgrade light bulbs in city buildings, Schilling said, and install sensors that will turn lights off when they can find no motion in a room. He estimated the job could involve thousands of bulbs and result in a $5,000 annual savings in the city's power bill.

The two things are funded from the block grant, which was originally sent to Horry County and divvied up among the cities that applied for it. Lisa Bourcier, Horry County spokeswoman, said the county used its share for several computer system upgrades designed to cut down on the amount of power it uses.

Myrtle Beach got almost $288,000 of the grant money, said Ron Andrews, assistant city manager. It will use the money primarily to replace the heating and air conditioning system at the city recreation center on the former Myrtle Beach Air Force Base. What's left over will be spent on lighting upgrades in a number of city buildings, Andrews said.

North Myrtle Beach got $148,000 from the grant, said assistant city manager Steve Thomas, and will use it to conduct an energy audit at City Hall and take action on the things it finds. He said the city expects the audit will point to the need for a new City Hall heating and air conditioning system, lighting upgrades and updates in the building's eight-year-old power system design.

Thomas said the city spends about 20 percent of its annual $2 million total power bill, or about $400,000, at the 35,000-square-foot building.

The city is also a partner in a consortium that aims to put small turbines in locations around North Myrtle Beach to provide power at public facilities.

North Myrtle Beach Councilman Greg Duckworth, the council's point man in the project, said the group - the North Strand Coastal Wind Team - hopes to have seven demonstration turbines at key public beach access points by the end of the year. He said the electricity the turbines generate will be used to light public bathrooms and the streetlights in the access parking lots.

In addition, Duckworth said, the consortium will place the turbines at two of the planned electric vehicle charging stations and possibly others tied into charging stations for golf carts.

Duckworth wasn't sure how large the blades on the turbines would be as there are a number of different designs that would fit the situation. The city passed an ordinance that would limit the allowable noise from them to two people speaking softly in a library.

The wind team has an impressive list of members, including Clemson and Coastal Carolina universities, the North Myrtle Beach Chamber, the Savannah River National Laboratory, the city of North Myrtle Beach and the Myrtle Beach Regional Economic Development Corp. Information about the consortium and its plans are available at northstrandcoastalwindteam.org.

The standard-size electric vehicle charging stations should be in place by the end of this year, said Jim Poch, executive director of Plug In Carolina, the Charleston-based nonprofit that got federal grants to install stations throughout the state.

Poch said the generating stations aren't meant to be the main power source for the area's electric vehicles, and acknowledged that one of their initial benefits will be to serve as a public relations vehicle for those who espouse expanded use of clean and domestic energy, which he does.

Santee Cooper will pay for the electricity at the recharging stations for three years, said Mollie Gore, company spokeswoman. She said that besides Conway, the company has unsigned commitments from other public and private sources in the Myrtle Beach area.

The charging stations are not intended to be the primary power point for electric vehicles, Gore and Poch said. The idea is that the vehicles would be charged at the owners' homes, and the stations could replace some energy vehicle owners used in driving around.

Andrews said the city of Myrtle Beach backed away from sponsoring one of the stations because city officials had concerns over maintenance. Gore said she thought that was to be covered in the grant money, but Poch said he believes those who sponsor them should have to pay to replace parts damaged through vandalism or accidents.

Gore said none of those the company is talking with about sponsorship have yet agreed to maintain a station, but she expects the issue will be resolved.

Schilling said Conway hopes to post on its website, cityofconway.com, a real-time account of the amount of power its new solar plant is generating.

The city is focused on the benefits of green power and educating others how it can be used, Schilling said.

"This will help to save us money," he said, "and be an example for others."