Solar Supports Energy Management in New York
Meeting Solar Energy Goals in Massachusetts
The New York State Office of Parks , Recreation and Historic Preservation ( OPRHP ) is charged with the operation of 214 state parks and historic sites throughout New York State which includes managing nearly 335,000 acres of public lands and facilities that are visited by 60 million visitors each year .
To reduce its annual energy costs of roughly $ 12 million and reduce its greenhouse gas emissions , OPRHP engaged TRC to support the design , development and management of energy efficient and clean energy projects across OPHRP ’ s eleven park regions in New York . Services provided by TRC include :
■ Developing comprehensive energy master plan
■ Performing ASHRAE Level II energy audits at 30 NYS spanning 100 buildings and over 1.5 million square feet of facility space .
■ Supporting retrofit work that included LED lighting replacements , HVAC upgrades , building envelope improvements and facility manager energy efficiency training
■ Providing planning , electrical engineering design and commissioning services in support of solar photovoltaic ( PV ) installations at Robert Moses State Park ( as pictured ), Peebles Island State Park , Saratoga Start Park and Grafton Lake State Park .
OPRHP has announced that it will install PV systems at all of its parks across New York State and TRC will be supporting this effort .
TRC is working with a New England client to install a major solar array in Massachusetts . Located about an hour southeast of Boston , the project involves the construction of a series of solar arrays and an energy storage facility on 17 acres of land . The project has been developed to consider local sensitive areas and wetland and vernal pool resources on the Site . A pollinator-friendly seed mix will be used in buffer zone areas , and , once established , will provide an enhanced ecological meadow environment .
The energy generated will help Massachusetts meet its solar and energy storage goals and the operation is expected to save approximately 3,574 tons per year of carbon dioxide equivalents ( CO2e ) emissions .
Project Impacts
3,574
Tons CO2e per year in avoided emissions
Equivalent to the emissions produced by
700
Cars per year
Annual cost savings from
OPRHP ’ s solar program :
Annual cost savings from energy retrofits : At each park
At all parks
$ 253k 33 % $ 1.1M
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