Solar Panels Spark Energy Fair at Waves Car Wash

This article was contributed by West Roxbury Saves Energy.

On a beautiful Saturday this August, owner Adam Korngold held an event at his business, Waves Car Wash — located on the VFW Parkway in West Roxbury at the Dedham line — to celebrate the launch of 7,000 square feet of solar panels on the building's roof. The Energy Fair combined free giveaways, community groups, local politicians, entertainment, and much more to mark the occasion and highlight the many ways Waves promotes sustainability and green business practices.

At the August Energy Fair, visitors could tour the facility's back-room mechanics and see energy-efficient practices at work as well as pick up free reusable bags filled with "green" items for the car. West Roxbury Saves Energy — a volunteer grassroots group committed to raising awareness of ways individuals in the community can save energy and save money — gave away information about how to conserve water both inside the home and outside as well as free reusable water bottles to encourage the use of tap water and minimize purchases of bottled waters and sports drinks. The reusable bottles were generously paid for by Waves Car Wash.

For the kids, free entertainment included a dunking booth and inflatable bouncer as well as music and discounted food for all. Many items for the car were on sale at reduced prices and tax-free, in accordance with the state's declaration of a tax-free weekend for consumer items. 

At mid-morning a ribbon-cutting ceremony commenced to officially mark the installation of the 160 solar panels, which will generate 50,000 kilowatts of electricity a year, providing about 20 percent of Waves's electrical needs. Patrick Hurley of Channel Sun, Inc., who installed the solar panels, kicked off the ceremony with a description of how the panels work.

Boston City Councilor John Connolly then awarded Korngold a citation on behalf of the City Council, commending the owner for his green initiatives and for setting an energy-efficiency example he said he hoped would be followed throughout West Roxbury and the entire city.

State Rep. Paul McMurtry, D-Dedham, also honored Waves with a citation and spoke about the importance of businesses taking the lead to save energy, which in turn saves money and our environment. McMurtry humorously pointed out that it is clear how seriously Korngold takes going green, as he even changed his business' logo hues to include the color green. Korngold then thanked everyone for coming out to his Energy Fair, acknowledged the groups and politicians in attendance, and cut the ribbon to a final round of applause.

To watch a video about the solar panel installation and learn more about the green initiatives at Waves, visit their Web site at waveswash.com.