Courtesy of: City of Santa BarbaraSANTA BARBARA, Calif. - The city of Santa Barbara honored the owners of 27 residential properties at a special ceremony on Wednesday evening.
Mayor Helene Schneider distributed certificates and plaques to each of the award winners. The intent of the city's recognition program is to promote the use of renewable energy and efficient use of energy resources. Officials say solar energy is a cleaner form of energy than traditional fossil fuels and safer than nuclear power. Increased solar use also decreases the chances for air pollution.
More than 70 solar energy projects were considered for these distinctions. The city also recognized the Community Environmental Council's (CEC) Solar Santa Barbara Program, which had 49 participants in the county during three months last year.
Over 600 solar systems have been installed in Santa Barbara. The city ranks 9th in the number of solar installations per capita out of 170 municipalities in the state with populations over 50,000.
