Terrace mart
Image: Terrasmart
Florida renewable energy company Terrace mart and Ohio-based engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) company Melink Solar have completed the installation of a 2.8 MW solar carport at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden.
Melink Solar, Terrasmart and Cincinnati Zoo said the new development is currently the largest publicly accessible urban solar array in the United States.
The project’s shelving system was designed and manufactured by Terrasmart. It includes nearly 5,000 bifacial modules connected via string inverter technology. Melink Solar came on board to oversee the mechanical installation at the site.
Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden has already installed solar power and with the addition of the new carport, it now has a total of 4.55 MW. This capacity provides two-thirds of the power requirement.
The new carport will provide shade for approximately 800 vehicles. Zoo representatives estimate that the solar systems will reduce the facility’s annual energy bill to about $300,000 between 2030 and 2032, down from $1.6 million in 2005.
“Solar technology, and our understanding of how to use it, has evolved dramatically since we installed our first solar panels on the zoo’s education building in 2006,” said Mark Fisher, vice president of facilities, planning and sustainability for the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden . “This new array is a good example of that. It will take up less physical space, but will generate almost twice as much power as the current array. Now that we are online, two-thirds of the zoo’s electrical needs will come from our parking lots.”
The zoo has also funded an additional 165 kilowatts of solar panels through the Community Solar Resiliency Program to support smaller installations in local churches, community centers and schools.
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