6 replies to this topic

[Shortpoet-GTD]

"Old Dominion Freight Line announced that it has installed rooftop solar panels on its warehouse in Thomasville, N.C., the first solar panel system in the company’s nationwide network of facilities.
The company says the 1.8-megawatt system, comprised of 7,660 individual solar panels that completely cover the company’s 160,000-square-foot roof, can produce more than 2.2 million kilowatt hours of electricity a year, enough to offset more than 90 percent of the building’s annual energy costs.

Old Dominion says this results in an environmental benefit of reducing CO2 emissions by a projected 1,547 metric tonnes, or the equivalent of saving 173,380 gallons of gas, providing electricity to 193 homes, removing 303 passenger vehicles from the road, preventing 15.3 acres of trees from deforestation, or not consuming 3,597 barrels of oil."

http://www.ccjdigita...r-power-system/

[MakingCents]

This is so cool.  I wonder if they will be harvesting the solar energy that they gather or if the solar energy will be running the trains just as it comes in.   Very cool move by them.

[jasserEnv]

Every large building with considerable roof space should be considered for its energy producing potential. Given the relatively low weight of solar installations, retrofit is usually going to be possible. It is the best way to ensure multiple uses of land area especially given the significant amount of space that these buildings can take. It is also great for reducing the cooling load of these buildings and the transmission losses so the energy returns are essentially 3 fold and that is fairly impressive.

[Shortpoet-GTD]

jasserEnv, on 18 February 2012 - 08:59 PM, said:

Every large building with considerable roof space should be considered for its energy producing potential.

Andrew Lessman owns a large vitamin/supplement facility in Nevada (it's where I buy mine.)

He installed solar panels several years ago not just on the roof of the facility, but on the roof's of the employee
covered parking area too.
Within the last few years, he has also switched all of the factories lights to L.E.D.'s. With that install,
the electric powered from the sun goes to running the mixers and other equipment, rather than the lights.

[jasserEnv]

That is very cool. I would be interested to know just what the savings in making this shift have been. These are the kinds of numbers that need to be shown to government officials who fall into the trap of some business lobbyists who say the costs of transition are something that businesses cannot bear. Especially in a place like Nevada where there is so much heat gain from the sun hitting the roof, I would think this would be a very good return on investment to businesses in the area.

[Shortpoet-GTD]

jasserEnv, on 19 February 2012 - 09:03 PM, said:

That is very cool. I would be interested to know just what the savings in making this shift have been. These are the kinds of numbers that need to be shown to government officials who fall into the trap of some business lobbyists who say the costs of transition are something that businesses cannot bear. Especially in a place like Nevada where there is so much heat gain from the sun hitting the roof, I would think this would be a very good return on investment to businesses in the area.

'Our roof and adjacent parking structure house one of the largest private solar energy installations in the world."
http://www.procapsla...nt/history.aspx

[Grandma Hugme]

Here's another one that claims to have the largest solar array in the country on a roof.  The Gloucester Marine Terminal now boasts 25 acres of 9 MW solar panels on its rooftop.   Recently, three of the biggest solar manufacturers announced large layoffs and cutback production. But as the Holt family, who own the terminal warehouses, learned, the situation is bright for one sector of the solar industry: corporate rooftop solar.

Keith Peltzman, the president of solar consulting firm Independence Solar, said the Holt family was approached repeatedly about leasing out their expansive rooftop real estate. "They were being approached by all these Wall Street hedge funds, private equity investors, who said, 'Hey let us lease your rooftop from you. We want to put a solar energy system that we pay for on there,'" Peltzman said. "And after the third or fourth meeting the management of the Gloucester Marine Terminal said, 'Why is everyone so interested in our roof for this solar energy? If it’s such a great idea, maybe we should consider doing it on our own without these hedge funds.'

Utilizing state and federal tax credits for green energy projects, Peltzman was able to help the Holt family turn their unused rooftops into an economic boon. Panels were installed in five months and cost $42 million. For the Holt family, the project was a smart investment.  The solar panels are expected to generate close to 80 per cent of the warehouses' power needs; the Environmental Protection Agency estimates the system will eliminate 9,500 tons of carbon dioxide.  Peltzman said the panels will likely save the Holts between $1 million and $1.5 million per year on their energy bills, enough to offset the family's loans for the project in just a few years.

How I wish I could do that on my entire roof!

Grandma Hugme
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