THE ROYAL SOCIETY for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) has gone “green”.
But it would like to go much further and install an off-grid solar system to eliminate its high electricity bill.
President of the charity, Pooka Yhap (below), told Heather-Lynn’s Habitat that like most households, the RSPCA had made small changes. Its new facility on Spring Garden now uses LED bulbs and all its air-conditioning units carry the inverter systems.
“Every time we do a project we try what is the green way to go,” Yhap said.
The RSPCA president said 16 water tanks had been installed to harvest rainwater.
“When we did these adoption kennels we made sure we saved all the rainwater so behind each kennel is four tanks. We collect a lot of our water. But we have kennels to wash down every day so we try to be as careful with water.
“So with those couple little baby steps of green, another donor said to us we should start thinking about solar and doing the electricity.”
Yhap admitted that solar project was still in its infancy. The RSPCA recently received a $10 000 shot in the arm towards the $84 000 it would take to go off-grid.
“That [donation] just makes me feel so good,” she said. “People are so generous. I think what it is about the RSPCA is that we involve everyone. We make them feel that they can come and visit us at any time; that you can walk through our kennels at any time.”
Yhap said the $84 000 system would power the entire building, including its operating machines, X-ray machines and kennels.
She revealed that while medicine and food were the RSPCA’s major expenses since it was a hospital and a boarding/adoption facility, electricity was still a $1 000 a month expense.
“But with solar, we can save, so why not control that one? I cannot always control importation of medicine and duty on that, but this is one area that I can maybe save.”
And the new building’s roof was just perfect for the solar panels.
“I just think it’s waiting to be farmed,” Yhap said with a laugh. (HLH)
