Northern Sound & Light Turns Green Into GreenThree years ago, Northern Sound & Light (NSL) invested in a new solar power system as part of a larger green strategy for the firm. NSL, a member of the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania business community since 1990, sells a wide variety of sound, lighting, and theatrical supplies to customers throughout the United States and its territories. The reasoning at the time of the project, according to company president, Steve Raslevich, was twofold, save money on utilities at their large, 6,800-sq.-ft. warehouse and office complex, and show good stewardship of local energy resources. NSL's solar power system, which was designed, engineered, and installed by Solar Power Industries of Belle Vernon, Pennsylvania, is comprised of 117 photovoltaic solar panels placed on the south facing roof of NSL's facility. The system -- the third largest in the greater Pittsburgh area -- produces over 25kW on an annual average, enough electricity for NSL to achieve "Energy-Positive" status and be able to sell electricity back to the utility. "This investment in renewable solar energy makes sense for us," said Raslevich. "Since half of our roof is now under the shade of panels, our HVAC system doesn't work as hard as it used to in the summer. We also cut our lighting load in half by a facility-wide change to compact fluorescent and LED lighting. The new fixtures emit much less heat than conventional lighting fixtures, further reducing our HVAC load." Advanced system metering allows Raslevich and his staff to monitor power usage via the Internet, and reduce their load during peak times. He says, "I'm committed to lowering NSL's energy use. There is a perception that NSL is an Internet-only operation, which is simply not the case. I want our walk-in customers, as well as my employees to be comfortable, and don't want to cringe every time I turn on the AC!" 
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