The Muskingum County Library System recently became a little “greener.”

After the need for a new roof arose at the John McIntire Library located in Downtown Zanesville, the Muskingum County Library System’s board began looking at ways to delve into renewable energy — and solar was the answer.

When the new building addition was added onto the library in 1991, the roof was completed with concrete tile. About 28 years later, those tiles had sustained enough cracking and wear and tear to call for a replacement.

The 60,000 square-feet of building that encompasses the Downtown library is not cheap to run electricity through, Executive Director for MCLS Jennifer Spillman said. Thus, the choice to undergo a transition to solar in order to remain fiscally responsible, as well as take an environmentally friendly approach in technology, wasn’t tough.

Spillman credited the “forward-thinking” board members for their receptiveness to the idea as she said the solar panels would benefit both the library and the environment in the long term.

“It’s a great decision for the community,” Third Sun Solar Consultant Jarrod Starr said.

Once estimates were brought to the board, Third Sun Solar, based in Athens, was contracted for the project.

The metal roof installation, which began in mid-April with Advanced Commercial Roofing, started weeks before solar panels were placed on the roof.

Starr said the collaborative effort between Third Sun Solar and the architect over the roofing project allowed the company to choose the large, south facing rooftop of the building to place the panels on as that area of the roof receives the most sunlight.

Since the installation of the panels, which was completed on June 18, the amount of clean power and energy generated from the solar panels equates to the planting of nearly 128 trees, according to the live solar energy tracker.

Due to the library’s position in downtown, and its visibility from the interstate, Spillman said many people have stopped in the library to inquire about the solar project.

“Solar is contangious,” Starr said. “We’re extremely proud to be partnering with the Muskingum County Library System.”

Sean Fennell, the Marketing and Community Relations Director for MCLS, said the addition of solar presents many educational opportunities.

While many people have inquired about solar panels for their own homes, Fennell said the library hopes to hold informational programs about the benefits of solar and clean energy.

To celebrate the addition of the solar panels, the John McIntire Library will be hosting a Clean Energy Expo all day on Sept. 21. The expo will be in partnership with the Rural Action out of Athens/The Plains and will celebrate clean energy with the addition of new Electric Vehicle charging stations, as well as the solar panels.

The expo will run from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. with lunch cooked on solar grills to follow, and the day finishes with a ribbon cutting ceremony and anEV showcase from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

To watch the live feed of the solar array and power production at the John McIntire Library, click here.