Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex Honored for 'Going Green'

Ongoing Improvements Reduce Facility's Environmental Footprint, Save Hundreds of Thousands of Dollars Annually

HARRISBURG, Pa., Sept. 28 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex and Expo Center has been honored for its commitment to "going green" through ongoing upgrades that have made the nearly 24-acre facility more environmentally friendly and saved taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars annually, Agriculture Secretary Russell C. Redding said today.

Citizens for Pennsylvania's Future, or PennFuture, a citizen environmental advocacy group, recently honored the complex with its "Green Power: Leading the Way" award, citing the facility's Going Green program, which includes extensive recycling and energy saving retrofit projects, as well as use of a wind turbine to generate electricity.

Combined, these measures have reduced operating costs at the facility more than $300,000 each year.

"For nearly 80 years, the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex has been used to showcase the latest advancements in agriculture, and now it is a model for eco-friendly and money-saving investments that can easily be translated into homes across Pennsylvania," said Redding. "I thank PennFuture for the tremendous honor and offer my gratitude to the hardworking, forward-thinking staff of the Farm Show Complex for being good stewards of our resources – embodying our commitment to keeping Pennsylvania growing."

A $3.6 million energy savings renovation project will be completed in October and includes:

• Replacing more than 8,000 lighting fixtures with energy efficient bulbs;
• Adding aerators to sinks and low-flow valves to toilets and urinals;
• Installing a rooftop solar system to provide supplemental hot water to the existing domestic system;
• Replacing inefficient motors and heaters with more energy efficient models; and
• Installing a photovoltaic solar system that will generate energy for the complex.

In addition to conserving electricity and water, the upgrades will reduce the facility's carbon dioxide emissions by 1,650 metric tons annually—roughly the equivalent of taking 300 cars off Pennsylvania's roads each year.

Redding said the upgrades complement other green measures already in place at the complex, such as a wind turbine that produces nearly 4,000 kilowatt hours of electricity a year—enough to power an average home for four months—an extensive recycling program, storm water garden and rooftop rain water collection tank.

The Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex and Expo Center features more than one million square feet – approximately 24 acres – under one roof and hosts more than 200 shows and events each year, from conferences to proms and livestock shows.

For more information about the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex and Expo Center, visit www.PaFarmShowComplex.com.

Media contact: Nicole L. C. Bucher, 717-787-5085

SOURCE Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture