CH2M HILL and the City and County of San Francisco Develop First Solar Energy Web Mapping Portal

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    SAN FRANCISCO, June 13 /PRNewswire/ -- CH2M HILL Enterprise Management
 Solutions (EMS), together with the City and County of San Francisco's
 Department of the Environment, today announced the development of the first
 solar mapping Web portal.
     (Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20060123/LAM077LOGO)
     The portal estimates the solar energy potential for commercial and
 residential structures in San Francisco, and allows building owners to
 visualize the potential environmental benefits and monetary savings that
 would result from installing solar energy panels on their property.
     The portal will be officially unveiled at a press conference held on
 June 20th at 11:45 a.m., in San Francisco's City Hall, Room 200.
     Using Google Maps as a visualization platform, the San Francisco Solar
 Map solution is a Web map portal that enables users to enter a San
 Francisco address and see an aerial view of that address. By clicking on
 the image of the building, users are provided with the following
 information:
     -- The estimated amount of solar photovoltaic (PV) energy that could be
        installed on the roof;
     -- The estimated amount of solar PV energy that could be generated at that
        site;
     -- Potential electricity cost reduction resulting from the solar PV
        installation;
     -- Estimated cost of installing a solar PV system, before and after state
        and federal incentives;
     -- Potential carbon dioxide/greenhouse gas (CO2) reduction as a result of
        installing a solar PV system;
     -- Case studies of other San Francisco businesses and homeowners who have
        already installed solar PV systems and their stories; and
     -- Information about how to install a solar PV system, including contact
        information for local solar installers.
     The San Francisco Solar Map solution is publicly accessible, and is
 replicable for use in other cities and counties throughout the world.
     "CH2M HILL's commitment to environmental sustainability continues to be
 a primary objective of our company," said Mike Underwood, CH2M HILL EMS
 senior vice president. "We constantly explore ways to use our spatial
 technology capabilities to build environmental sustainability solutions. We
 are delighted to be working with the City and County of San Francisco and
 Google to develop a solution that enables people to quickly make informed
 decisions about investing in solar technology. This Web-based solution can
 be replicated in every city in the world, and through the use of solar
 technology, could result in widespread environmental benefits."
     "San Francisco is committed to clean energy, and to making sure
 resources are available to make it easier for San Franciscans to go solar,"
 said San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom. "By using our solar mapping program,
 residents and businesses can quickly determine whether specific
 photovoltaic projects will pencil out, which is the first step to getting
 more renewable energy in the city."
     About CH2M HILL
     Headquartered in Denver, Colo., employee-owned CH2M HILL is a global
 leader in engineering, construction, and operations for public and private
 clients. With $4.5 billion in revenue, CH2M HILL is an industry- leading
 program management, construction management for fee, and design firm, as
 ranked by Engineering News-Record (2006). The firm's work is concentrated
 in the areas of transportation, water, energy, environment, communications,
 construction, and industrial facilities. The firm has long been recognized
 as a most-admired company and leading employer by business media and
 professional associations worldwide. CH2M HILL has more than 19,000
 employees in regional offices around the world.
 
 

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