Steinway flaunts the largest solar rooftop of its kind in the world

Though it isn’t that time of the year when talking about air-conditioning will make my readers comfortable, I couldn’t give this news a miss. Renowned piano maker, Steinway & Sons cools or heats up their plant at Queens with solar panels. At the cost of $870,000, this alternative energy system will help to keep the factory cool. This move is to cool air will be helpful to dehumidify the hammers and other small moving parts that can be affected by changes in the moisture in the air. The fitted mirrored solar panels are automated and can twist to follow the path of the sun.

In the winter, the system can also convert the superheated water into steam to heat the factory. Part of this cost, $588,000 to be precise, has been granted by New York State Energy Research and Development Authority. Andrew Horbachevsky, Steinway’s vice president for manufacturing rightly quotes, “We kind of backed into the ecological thing and Green is also the color of money.” The guy certainly knows to play his notes in harmony with nature and economy!
[Treehugger] Via [NYtimes]