SEPTA Goes Solar at 2nd and Wyoming Bus Maintenance Shop
July 22, 2019
SEPTA has recently completed the installation of a 1.2 MW solar PV system on the roof of 2nd & Wyoming Bus Maintenance shop. This is the first of four locations that will receive solar panels. The project is SEPTA's biggest solar initiative, and when finished, will represent one of the largest installations in the city.
In May of 2017 SEPTA selected SunVest Solar, Inc. to finance, own, design, install, operate and maintain the roof-mounted PV systems for 20 years. The project team includes Solar States, a Philadelphia-based solar installation and education firm. The project is a key initiative of SEPTA's Sustainability Program Plan, SEP-TAINABLE 2020, which includes a goal to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from SEPTA's operations and facilities by 20 percent by 2020.
"SEPTA is proud to step into a position of leadership among Philadelphia businesses in the strategic deployment of renewable energy on our system," said SEPTA Board Chairman Pasquale T. Deon. "This project thoughtfully leverages an existing asset - roof space at maintenance facilities - to make SEPTA's ongoing operations cleaner and more efficient."
Arrays of solar panels will be installed at four maintenance locations, each with large flat roofs that are well-suited to host a system for the 20-year period:
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2nd & Wyoming (Bus Maintenance, Print & Sign Shop)
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Fern Rock (Rail Shop for Broad Street Line)
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Callowhill (Bus Maintenance)
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Roberts (Rail Shop for Regional Railcars)
"SEPTA's solar project will total 3 megawatts (MW) of installed capacity - the second largest ever in the City of Philadelphia," said SEPTA General Manager Jeffrey D. Knueppel. "The project will increase the total installed capacity of solar PV systems across the City by more than 30 percent.
"For years, SEPTA has been reducing energy consumption and emissions through initiatives such as hybrid-electric bus acquisition and LED lighting installation," Knueppel added. "This solar project, along with other exciting new initiatives such as a new fleet of battery-electric buses, demonstrates SEPTA's enduring commitment to environmental improvement."
For more information about SEPTA’s sustainability program, click here.
