At Draper Media, the parent company of WBOC, we’ve taken the challenge to reduce our environmental impact by powering our Salisbury, Md., station with clean, renewable energy.
With more than 2,000 solar panels located behind our Salisbury station, located at 1729 N. Salisbury Blvd., we made history in 2019 by building the first solar farm within Salisbury city limits.
The solar farm, built by Ultra Solar & Wind Solutions of Ocean City, Md., generates 908 kilowatts of power, enough to cover all of the energy needs for the television station in Salisbury.
So far we have eliminated more than 800 tons of CO2 from the city's carbon footprint. That is the equivalent of charging over 92 million smartphones.
On Thursday, Oct. 1, WBOC, FOX21 and 102.5 WBOC-FM are celebrating our company going green. Throughout the day we're featuring news stories, green tips, and green facts.
Stories we have planned for you Thursday include:
- How you can go green - Reporter Sydney Whitfield will provide easy to do tips on how you can go green. She will show the benefits of going green and provide resource materials for you to learn.
- Families that have gone green - Reporter Amy Lu will feature families on Delmarva that have already gone green. She will show what they are doing to help minimize their carbon footprint. She will also share other ideas for families to try.
- Plastic recycling - Plastic is everywhere, including in our grocery store shopping bags. However, plastic bans are becoming more prevalent on Delmarva. Reporter Cassie Semyon breaks down the do’s and don’ts of plastic usage and plastic recycling.
- Cities and towns that are going green - Many communities on Delmarva have already taken steps to go green. Some are generating some of their own power. Reporter Conall Smith visits some Delmarva towns to learn about their policies, recycling programs and goals to help save the planet.
- A business that has gone green - Reporter Chris Weimer takes a look at WBOC’s very own backyard solar farm, the reasons why it was built and its environmental and economic benefits.
- Composting – Did you ever think about creating and building your own compost pile in your backyard? Reporter Zach Parnes will explore the benefits of composting and show us some easy DIY tips on making one at your home.
WBOC's solar farm at the rear of the Salisbury station at 1729 N. Salisbury Blvd. (Photo: Chopper 16)