Update on the Green Restaurant Initiative

Progress has been steady on the Green Restaurant Initiative since last month's newsletter update. The final solar thermal panels have been installed by Sundance Power Systems for the French Broad Chocolate Lounge and Posana Café. These two restaurants back up to each other between Biltmore Avenue and South Lexington Avenue and occupy the same building complex, allowing the restaurants to co-locate their systems on an adjacent building. After running into challenges related to the age of the roof structure on the historic Adler Building where both restaurants are located, Sundance Power Systems identified a creative solution to the problem. They were able to construct a robust mounting system of steel I-beams supported by the building's parapet walls. This hefty mounting system provides a solid base for the panels while fully protecting the integrity of the historic structure.  You can see this integrated structure in the picture below! 

The downtown Green Sage has also now achieved Three Star Green Certification, joining Posana Café (three stars), Tupelo Honey (two stars), and Tupelo Honey South (two stars). This month we'll be wrapping up installation of energy efficiency measures with a host of lighting retrofits and are aiming to have all restaurants Green Certified by Earth Day 2012. Keep your eyes peeled!