Shreveport Apartments Add Solar Power

Downtown Shreveport's Lee Hardware and United Jewelers Apartments have gone green.  New Orleans developer HRI Properties has added solar panels to those two properties as well as three in New Orleans and one in Houma.  HRI's Hal Fairbanks says it's really a pretty straight-forward installation -- two solar arrays have been installed above the parking structure there and are now feeding electricity to both buildings.  He says electricity generated by the solar arrays will offset electricity usage in the common areas of both buildings -- that is, air conditioning, lighting, and the cost of running equipment.  Fairbanks says by off-setting electricity usage with solar power, it's hoped that both apartment complexes can avoid future rent increases.  The projects have been completed at one property each in New Orleans and Houma and are in the final stages of completion at two other New Orleans properties.  He says the whole $10-million project was made possible by a combination of state and federal clean energy incentives and tax credits.