Metro, which is the transit agency for the Washington, DC area, made an announcement on Friday that they have an upcoming deal to install solar panels above buildings and parking structures at four different subway rail bus stations worth up to $50 million over 25 years.
Metro explains that when they are all combined, these four separate sites will be able to generate up to 12.8 megawatts of electrical capacity, making this “the largest community solar project in the National Capital Area and one of the largest in the nation.”
At the same time, it will give Metro customers who park their cars at the stations new shaded parking, as well as protection from outside elements while parked in any of these four locations.
Moreover, SunPower Corp. is also under agreement to install photovoltaic solar panels above the carports and canopies that cover surface lots, and over parking garages too. The four locations of the Metro sites where the panels will be installed are in Cheverly, Anacostia, Southern Avenue, and Naylor Road stations.
The solar power system will be owned by Goldman Sachs Renewable Power, who will also provide the annual payments to Metro until the year 2047. This will provide a long-term revenue stream that will be able to support the regional transit agency’s operations, without adding cost to the Metro company, which happens to be run by the governments of Maryland, Virginia, and DC of course.
Metro’s CEO, Paul Wiedefeld, shared, “This project benefits residents of our region, even people who don’t ride Metro, by leveraging the potential of our stations to generate revenue and increase the community’s access to a clean, renewable source of energy. This project advances the region’s sustainability goals while generating revenue to help keep Metro safe and affordable in an extremely tight budget environment.”
After completion, the stations located in DC and Prince George’s County, Maryland, will have at least 17 acres of photovoltaic solar panels, which is basically the equivalent of 13 football fields. Impressively, this will be able to generate enough electricity to power at least 1500 single-family homes. Moreover, businesses and homes in the local PEPCO area will be able to sign up for a share of ‘the clean, renewable energy generated by the project while saving on their utility bill.’
As part of Metro’s sustainability initiatives, the project will help advance the Clean Energy DC Plan that is looking to cut carbon emissions in half, while transitioning to 100 percent renewable energy by 2032. The construction for this project is expected to start early next year.
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