It costs Fountain Inn $35,000-$40,000 a year to power the lights at their Civic Center for the Visual and Performing Arts. They could save half that with solar panels up on the roof, but so far, high installation costs have prevented them from switching to solar.

“By banding together as three cities, I think we’ll have a slightly better shot than if we were just to go at it on our own.”
– Karin Von Kaenel, the project’s coordinator.

If things go as planned, that may change soon.

The Golden Strip member cities – Fountain Inn, Mauldin and Simpsonville – have applied jointly for a “GO GREEN” energy grant – part of the federal stimulus package – that would pay for solar panels to be installed on one building in each city.