By winter of 2016, Sandy Point State Park in Annapolis is expected to become a model of alternative energy. The 63 year old park is one of Maryland’s most popular Chesapeake Bay destinations, and by this fall, will see the installation of solar power, wind power, and other energy-efficient features.
Earlier this month, the Board of Public Works approved a $535,870 contract with Baltimore-based Bithenergy to evaluate, design, and install park upgrades that will reduce total energy consumption by an estimated 45 percent. The projects include: installing solar photovoltaic systems to the roofs of two buildings and four picnic pavilions, adding solar thermal technology to the park’s public bathhouses with 80-gallon solar water heating systems, LED light upgrades to the existing interior and exterior lighting fixtures park-wide, placing a small wind turbine 40-feet high in the South Beach parking area, and replacing hand dryers in all park restrooms with high efficiency models.
Additional projects still in the design phase include a nature-themed playground, an expanded nature center, and renovations to the central park plaza that will feature tree planting, permeable pavers, and interpretation of the Chesapeake Bay’s natural and human history. State Parks superintendent Nita Settina says, “Once installation is complete, Sandy Point will be the first state park to host alternative energy projects of this size and scale.”
The work is scheduled to begin this fall with an estimated completion date of January 2016. For more information on the park, visit dnr2.maryland.gov and click to Sandy Point.
