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

Posted on: Wednesday, 13 June 2007, 09:05 CDT

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 every commercial and residential rooftop 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.

Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20060123/LAM077LOGOAP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com

CH2M HILL

CONTACT: Mark Westlund of San Francisco Dept. of the Environment,+1-415-355-3714, mark.westlund@sfgov.org; or Brad Jones of CH2M HILL,+1-720-286-2385, bjones4@ch2m.com

Web site: http://www.ch2m.com/

Source: PRNewswire

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