PATCO unveils plan for solar energy project

Rail News Home Sustainability 8/7/2020 Rail News: Sustainability
SunPower Corp. will install 133 solar photovoltaic parking canopies at seven sites, including PATCO’s Ashland Station (pictured).Photo – PATCO

Port Authority Transit Corp. (PATCO) and Delaware River Port Authority (DRPA) officials earlier this week unveiled plans for a 22-megawatt solar energy project in the Philadelphia region. 

Under the plan, SunPower Corp. will install more than 50,000 solar panels along with 133 high-efficiency solar photovoltaic parking canopies at seven sites, including PATCO’s Ashland, Lindenwold, Woodcrest and Ferry Avenue rail stations.

When installations are complete in 2021, the solar park is expected to provide more than 50 percent of DRPA and PATCO’s total electricity consumption through solar energy, PATCO officials said in a press release.

The project is expected to produce approximately 27 million kilowatt-hours in the first year of production, agency officials said.

The initiative is funded through a 20-year power purchase agreement pursuant to which DRPA will purchase all electricity generated by the project. DRPA is expected to save up to $12 million over 20 years.