On the heels of one of the worst environmental disasters in the history of the United States and President Obama’s call for renewable energy, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) and New York Power Authority (NYPA) have continued their work for a greener New York City.
Together, they have unveiled an advanced rooftop-mounted solar thermal array that heats water used to wash subway cars at New York City Transit’s Coney Island Overhaul Shop and Maintenance Facility. The project, which started in November, saves the agency $94,000 and slashes carbon dioxide emissions by 86 tons per year.
“It seems fitting that we’re pioneering this advanced solar-thermal technology in a community whose iconic attractions include the beach and sun,” said Richard Kessel, president and chief executive officer of the New York Power Authority.
Installation of the solar thermal array cost $550,000; a bill shouldered by the NYPA with the help of a grant from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority.
Consisting of 48 mounted panels on the building’s roof, the warmth of the sun is transferred through interconnected pipes that function as a water heater, which is later used to wash trains during scheduled maintenance and domestic-use needs by the staff.
It is just one of the 85 energy projects that the MTA and NYPA have aligned together on, which include light emitting diode (LED) subway signal lighting system upgrades, a 200-kilowatt fuel cell at NYC Transit’s new Corona Car Maintenance Facility and another rooftop array at the Gun Hill Bus Depot in The Bronx. These projects add up to $5.7 million in yearly savings and a reduction of 34,000 tons of greenhouse gases.
“We need to take advantage of renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies,” said Kessel. “Not only for reducing environmental risks like oil spills and global warming, but for capitalizing on economic development benefits of these clean energy technologies.”
