Clear Skies Ahead for Seth Christ and Sun City Solar
Meet the Next Generation
By AMBER NEVILLE
Seth Christ seen here with one of his latest installments.
Toomey Oil and Gas has purchased this double-sided solar electric array. Double-sided panels like this can increase the amount of energy produced by single-sided panels by 30%. On this snowy March day, the array seen in the background was running and produced enough power to run all the lights in the building.
DANIEL C. CAMERON for GTR Newspapers
Editor’s Note: Tulsa-area leadership has been working hard over the past few years to keep young professional talent in the region. One organization that has been very effective in keeping young talent local is Tulsa Young Professionals, known by its acronym “TYPros.” This is the third of the GTR Newspapers monthly series spotlighting young Tulsa leadership. Greater Tulsa is fortunate to have young talent contributing to its betterment.
“Green living” may be the latest trend to some and is certainly one of the more buzz-worthy topics in the news today. More and more businesses and people are seeking “alternative” and/or “sustainable” ways to operate their businesses and homes, but Sun City Solar Energy has been available to Tulsa for some time.
This edition’s featured young professional is Seth Christ, the Energy Consultant and System Designer for Sun City Solar Energy. Christ is a member of TYPros and serves on the TYPros Sustainability Crew, one of the most active groups in the organization.
Sun City Solar Energy, a locally owned and operated company in Tulsa, has been providing residential and commercial solar energy products and services for over 20 years. In fact, Sun City Solar Energy currently has five operations in Oklahoma, Arkansas and Texas with more to open, according to Christ.
Christ has two main roles as the Tulsa office energy consultant and designer. First: Meet with the customer to assess their alternative energy objectives by providing them with a projected cost-savings plan based on the type of product(s) to be used. Second: Design the actual solar energy system around the customer’s objectives using electrical calculations based on code-compliant systems. Another key part of Christ’s role as energy consultant is to research and understand current tax incentives for customers who use alternative energy products and solutions.
Sun City Solar Energy currently has numerous residential projects underway as well as a commercial project installation at Toomey Oil and Gas, located in downtown Tulsa. In March 2008, Keener Oil and Gas, located at 16th Street and Boston Avenue in Tulsa, installed solar panels on the south side of their roof. Dewey F. Bartlett, president of Keener Oil and Gas, wanted to see a cost-savings on their electricity bill with a tie-in to the grid-connected system which receives back-up power from the utility company. With a grid-tie system, when the Solar Power System produces excess power, the utility company purchases the power from the solar panel system customer through a net metering and rate arrangement. Bartlett reports, “Over the past 12 months, I have seen my average monthly utility bill has decreased by 30 percent due to the solar panel system roof installation.”
In December 2007, Oklahoma experienced one of its most devastating winter-weather storms ever. The storm caused power outages for over hundreds of thousands of energy-dependent customers across the state. As customers began to understand their need for alternative mechanisms of power, they sought generators. For Sun City Solar Energy, their business filled a need and began offering continuous back-up generators that automatically switch over after a power outage using a transfer switch.
So how does solar energy compare to wind energy today? Christ says, “Solar energy panels warrant usage up to 20 years versus wind energy turbines that only warrant their product up to five years. More than likely people investing in alternative energy sources want the product to last without constant purchases for the product to keep being effective. Currently, wind power just doesn’t offer that longevity.”
Sun City Solar Energy also offers free educational seminars to anyone interested in learning more about their products and services at their corporate office in Tulsa and all of their locations.. To find out more information about Sun City Solar Energy and/or their products, visit their Web site www.SunCityEnergy.com or contact their office directly at (918) 494-0886.
About TYPros
The Tulsa Young Professionals, or “TYPros,” is a group of diverse young professionals, whose typical ages range from 21- 40, working together to showcase Tulsa as a cool place to live, work and play. The mission of TYPros is to retain and attract young talent, while focusing on fostering the next generation of leadership. Membership is free. TYPros provides its members with opportunities to get in front of and build relationships with local community and business leaders. For more information or to become a member, visit www.typros.org.
Tags: solar, solar energy, solar panels, solar power
