PARKING GOES SOLAR


Creating Renewable Energy and Earning ROI


BY CHRIS GRAY AND BILL HARRIS


(SEIA) reports that in 2009, the United States ranked fourth in the world for new solar electric installation, behind Germany, Italy and Japan. It fur- ther details that in terms of both new grid-tied installed capacity and cumulative capacity, only the state of California leads NewJersey, albeit by a large margin in both categories.


D Attractive federal, state and local


incentives, coupled with accessible tech- nology, have decreased the time to achieve ROI. The parking industry, led by a num- ber of early adopters, has adapted this technology, taking advantage of rooftops and surface parking to create clean, renewable energy. Surface applications include carports


that not only generate electricity but also provide shading for cars, and represent a visible commitment to renewables – a potentialmarketing advantage as well. California State University, Fresno,


for example, recently completed a 1 megawatt project with 10 PV-topped met- al panel canopies covering more than 700 spaces, which saves the university upwards of $13 million in avoided costs over the 30 year life span. To top it off, these parking lots generate additional rev- enue by providing “premium” spaces. Pairing solar installations with energy efficient lighting


EPLOYMENT OF SOLAR ENER- gy, and its accompanying return on investment (ROI), has increased rap- idly in the last few years. The Solar Energy Industries Association


series of projects to reduce utility consumption along with associated costs. Beginning in 2009, a lighting retrofit project replaced exist-


ingmetal halide and incandescent light fixtures with energy effi- cient florescent, LED and other lighting technologies.This phase alone resulted in more than a 50% reduction compared with pre- vious annual consumption. A 654-kilowatt solar array will generate 90% to 95% per-


cent of today’s energy needs for the facility.A structural canopy will be permanently mounted to the roof level of the garage to house the arrays and provide shade for vehicles. Electric vehicles that opt to plug into “docking stations” will have the vehicles’ fuel source replenished while they utilizemass transit.


Hamilton Station park and ride with solar array installed on the roof. This second phase of the energy reduction project will gen-


upgrades and electric vehicle charging stations creates further cost and energy saving synergies. This article will profile three notable installations to showcase the truly amazing potential of solar technology related to parking in the next decade, and the benefits to those owners willing tomake the leap.


Hamilton Station (NJ) Park & Ride, NJ Transit Hamilton Train Station Opened in the fall of 2006, this 2,023-vehicle,multiple-level


facility provides parking for daily commuters traveling andwork- ing up and down the Northeast corridor. To continue its ongoing commitment to energy reduction


and renewable energy generation, Nexus Properties, through its energy services division Nexus Energy Solutions, began a


erate approximately 784,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity annual- ly, enough to power almost 50 homes each year. Through federal incentives, solar renewable energy credit sales and energy pro- duction, this solar installation has achieved ROI in less than four and a half years on a pre-tax basis. The initial lighting project paid for itself in less than one


year. During the estimated 30-year useful life, the initiative is expected to produce a positive cash flowofmore than $3million.


Pocono (PA) International Raceway Inc. Pocono Raceway in northeastern Pennsylvania is now


reportedly the world’s largest solar-powered sports facility. It features a 3 megawatt solar farm of almost 40,000 photovoltaic (PV) modules on 25 acres – land that used to be parking area for spectators.


Continued on Page 38 NOVEMBER 2010 • PARKING TODAY • www.parkingtoday.com 37


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64