North Carolina now ranks fourth in the nation for its solar capacity, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association, and Duke Energy estimates about 1,700 customers own rooftop solar systems.
A local Charlotte initiative is plans on drastically increasing that number.
Solarize Charlotte, endorsed by the U.S. Department of Energy, “uses neighborhood relationships, nonprofit networks, and bulk discounts to offer prices for solar installation that are well below normal retail value.” The new Charlotte-based program is all volunteer-run and offers discounts on installations and connects homeowners to tax savings and low-interest loans.
They just completed a three-month campaign to increase the demand for solar energy in Charlotte region. “One of the issues we all recognized was that even as solar dropped in price, people saw barriers, the goal is to help with everything involved.” commened project assistant Michael Zytkow.
The campaign worked with a solar company, the RED Group, that offered bulk discounts on installations. State and federal tax credits cut the cost, and low-interest loans were used, reducing the cost by up to 75% off the retail price of a solar system. Typical systems range from about $4,500 retail. Many Charlotte homeowners have also started buying self-installation solar kits online for around $1,000.
Roughly 600 people showed interest in installing solar to their home, about 186 asked for proposals, and 24 signed installation contracts. An additional 89 projects are still in the consultation stages.
Davidson Was Ranked As One Of The Coolest Suburbs in America
Davidson, NC just made the list of the coolest suburbs in America on Thrillist.com, based on the following factors;
1) A good (or at least respectable) food/drink scene, with enough places to go close to home to not always have to trudge back into the city.
2) Not so far away from the city that the commute is awful
3) A place with a history or its own unique elements that separate it from just planned suburban sprawl
Based on those rankings, Davidson was chosen as the coolest suburb in the Charlotte region, and one of the coolest in America.
“Never mind the fact that this town looks like it is the setting of one of Nicholas Sparks’ novels I totally haven’t read, and never mind the fact that the best basketball player in the world went to the beautiful college where you can bring your kids to watch basketball and tell them about him; never mind that it sits on a beautiful lake and has a Downtown that will make you weep with aesthetic joy, or that it is only 20 miles from Charlotte; just get the skillet burger at Kindred (it has infinity accolades nationally) during lunch, and you will understand. I actually might just move there by the time you finish reading this. Forbes just released their new rankings for the best colleges and universities in America, and one Charlotte-area school has been ranked among the likes of Stanford, Yale, and Harvard University. Davidson College was named the best school in the south and the 25th best college in America – narrowly losing to Boston College (#22), Georgetown University (#21), and The University of Chicago (#20)
Lake Norman About To Open A New Full-Service Beauty Salon For Your Pets The new Harbor Point Animal Hospital is now set to be Lake Norman’s premier Hotel & Pet Spa in the region, with; preventative care, surgical care, internal medicine, dentistry, puppy and kitten care, emergency medicine, on-site pharmacy, dog and cat boarding, and a variety of grooming services that will be available from therapeutic physicians.
The all-inclusive veterinary hospital will provide a variety of grooming, medical, and cosmetic services for a variety of pets. The owner, like many Lake Norman residents, is not from the area. She graduated from the University of Kentucky and she earned her doctorate of veterinary medicine from the University of Georgia.
The new veterinary clinic now has a scheduled open date for this coming September.
Topgolf targets early 2017 opening for Charlotte golf entertainment center
Topgolf is planning to open its first Charlotte entertainment facility in early 2017.
Construction is set to begin soon on a site near Arrowood and I-485, at the Whitehall Corporate Center. The building will total 65,000 square feet. A Topgolf affiliate purchased the 14-acre site in a $4.4 million deal that closed April 18.
“The location we’ve selected is in close proximity to the airport and all of the surrounding hotels and offices,” said Topgolf vice president of real estate development Zach Shor, in a statement. “It is the perfect spot for a Topgolf venue, and we are so excited to offer Charlotte residents and visitors another destination for entertainment.”
Topgolf features golf-centered games and targets a broader audience than golfers. In fact, about half of TopGolf’s users describe themselves as nongolfers, the company said.
The Topgolf Charlotte complex will include three levels, with 3,000 square feet of space for private events and 102 hitting bays for up to six players at a time. The bays will be climate-controlled. There will also be more than 230 flat-screen TVs at Topgolf Charlotte.
Topgolf is projecting 450,000 visitors will use the entertainment center in its first year. The company will employ 450 full- and part-time workers in Charlotte, Topgolf said.
Here’s a description of the game Topgolf offers: “Players hit golf balls containing computer microchips that track each shot’s accuracy and distance while awarding points for hitting targets on the outfield.” The company caters to leagues, kid’s parties, social and corporate events.
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