This Release is Being Distributed In Conjunction with Northwestern Michigan College

News Release

For Release September 27, 2006                                                   

Contact:  Jim Cooper, Key Accounts & Marketing Mgr., Traverse City Light & Power

               Phone: (231) 932-4560 or E-mail: jcooper@tclp.org

Contact:  Bill Queen, Program Coordinator, Northwestern Michigan College Extended

   Educational Services. Phone: (231) 995-1701 or E-mail: bqueen@nmc.edu

Contact:  Phil Callighan, Sr. Account Executive, Knorr Marketing

   Phone: (231) 947-9707, ext. 207; Mobile: (231) 342-7590

               or E-mail: philc@knorrmarketing.com

L&P and NMC to Dedicate New Solar Power System Saturday, Oct. 7

Public invited to Energy Demonstration Center Open House

(Traverse City, MI) - Northwestern Michigan College (NMC) and Traverse City Light & Power (L&P) will celebrate the opening of the largest commercial solar power system in northern Michigan on Saturday, October 7, which is "National Solar Tour Day" and the concluding day of "Public Power Week" (when more than 2,000 electric utilities who provide electricity on  a not-for-profit basis are recognized).

Linda Johnson, Chairman of the L&P Board, and NMC President Timothy J. Nelson, will throw the switches to turn on the new solar system at 11 a.m. The solar system is one of several new components of NMC's Energy Demonstration Center, which will be open to the public for tours and demonstrations from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. that day.

The solar system was made possible by a $60,000 grant from the State of Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Growth (DLEG) Energy Office, along with additional support from L&P, NMC and in-kind service donations.

The new power system will function as a training lab and also be connected to the L&P electric grid to serve as a supplemental source of electricity for the M-TEC building on NMC's Aero Park campus. It is designed to generate enough electricity to power more than a dozen average homes by using solar electric panels (the same as those used on

satellites in space and the Mars Rover).  

L&P is promoting the Energy Demonstration Center Open House to their customers as one of their "Power Play Day" customer appreciation activities. L&P customers can also redeem their September billing insert at the Traverse City Governmental Center before that Saturday for free admission passes good only on October 7 at the Dennos Museum, Howe Arena (free skating) and the Grand Traverse Heritage Center. Details are posted on L&P's website: www.tclp.org.

The solar panel array is one of several elements of NMC's new Energy Demonstration Center, which will provide training for people to work in related trades, as well as education for anyone interested in learning more about renewable energy sources.

The Michigan Public Service Commission awarded NMC $450,000 to install the training laboratories at the Energy Demonstration Center, in order to develop a trained workforce in energy efficient and renewable energy technologies in commercial and residential construction.

The Oct. 7 Open House will include demonstrations and information on:

• The new 8 kilowatt photovoltaic array
• Geothermal heating and cooling technology
• A new wind turbine
• New solar thermal system for domestic hot water and heat
• A portable solar lab, which will be used to prepare "solar powered refreshments" for the day
• A biodiesel processing lab, which will be used to train workers for two new facilities opening in Michigan
• An indoor construction training facility that integrates several of the alternative energy components for NMC Construction Technology Program students and Extended Education classes

"It's an educational system designed with versatility in mind," said project coordinator Bill Queen of NMC.  "We'll study the technical aspects of how these systems

work, as well as look at cost efficiency and viability of renewable energy sources."

"We were delighted to collaborate with NMC and help put this solar system together," says Jim Cooper, Key Accounts and Marketing Manager for L&P. "We're always looking for opportunities like this to expand our renewable energy resources and customer knowledge."

Traverse City Light & Power (www.tclp.org) is a community-owned, community-focused municipal utility that offers energy at low rates in the region to over 10,000 customers in Traverse City, and parts of Blair, East Bay, Elmwood, Garfield, Peninsula and Paradise townships. 

Northwestern Michigan College is a public community college in Traverse City, Michigan that serves more than 50,000 learners annually - through academic credit programs, noncredit personal interest classes, organizational and workforce training, and cultural activities. NMC offers associates degrees and professional certificates, and baccalaureate and graduate degrees through ten partner universities at its University Center. NMC also is home to the Dennos Museum Center, the Rogers Observatory, WNMC public radio, and the Great Lakes Campus that houses maritime and culinary programs, a water studies institute and conference center.

For more information, visit www.nmc.edu.

###

The details:

Saturday, Oct. 7 (National Solar Tour Day, also final day of Public Power Week)

-- Grand opening of one of the largest solar power grids in northern Michigan (11 a.m.)

-- NMC Energy Demonstration Center open house (10 a.m.-3 p.m.

NMC's Energy Demonstration Center is located in and around the M-Tec building on NMC's Aero Park campus, 2600 Aero Park Drive, on the northeast side of Cherry Capital Airport.

For more information, call 231-995-1701 or visit www.nmc.edu/ees.