Boston Properties, Healthy Planet Partners (HPP) and Solaire Generation recently announced they are ‘Flipping the Switch’ on the 840-kW garage mounted solar canopy at Boston Properties’ Bay Colony.
“We applaud Boston Properties’ taking advantage of significant space available on their parking lots and thinking beyond traditional rooftop and ground-mount solar installations,” says Laurence Mackler, Solaire Generation CEO.
The solar canopy covers 60,000 sq. ft. (1.4 acres) atop the 950 Winter Street parking garage, and the installation is projected to produce more than one million kWh of renewable power annually. The energy produced is equivalent to 20% of Bay Colony Building 950’s total consumption, or enough energy to power approximately 130 Massachusetts homes. Annually, renewable energy generated by the solar array will offset 340 metric tons of CO2.
Bay Colony: This 1,000,000 sq. ft., four-building, Class A office park sits across 58 acres.
“With the commissioning of this solar canopy, our properties now host 950 kW of solar installations,” says Bryan Koop, senior vice president and regional manager of Boston Properties. “We are pleased to do our part in reaching the State’s aggressive goal of achieving 1,600 MW of installed solar power by 2020.”
The project included the installation of 2,850 panels and nearly 300 tons of steel. The project used inverters from Power-One (now ABB) and Canadian Solar panels. In addition to generating clean energy at a discounted rate to the customers at Bay Colony, the canopies protect employees and visitors from the elements.
“This solar project illustrates a strong commitment to efficient and sustainable operation of buildings and facilities,” says Michael Richter, managing partner of Healthy Planet Partners. “This effort should serve as a model for the utilization of parking garages across Massachusetts and beyond.”
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