SHINING A LIGHT ON SOLAR PANELS

From Sonny’s Place to Lindy Farms to Mullen Road, you may have noticed the shiny solar panels on the roofs or carports. They may be an easy thing to overlook or ignore but solar panels serve an important purpose for us and the environment.

On June 12th, USA hosted a grand opening of our latest solar project – a solar powered CNG fueling station at Shoham Road in East Windsor.

This innovative fueling station is the first of its kind in the country. USA’s fleet is now the cleanest powered waste and recycling fleet in the country- utilizing multiple forms of clean, sustainable, and cost-effective energy for fleet fueling.

Solar panels at Shoham Road, East Windsor, CT

The compression equipment that pumps natural gas consumes a lot of electricity which was previously purchased from the utility company and likely sourced from fossil fuels. This new solar array consists of 1,689 panels and will produce clean energy for the next 40 years, helping us reduce carbon emissions equivalent to 608,024 lbs. of coal burned or 1,288 barrels of oil.

“USA Hauling and Recycling is proving out such an important model for businesses in the state of Connecticut,” said Dykes. “We know at the department that this project sits at the intersection of our highest environmental and climate priorities, from waste management to renewable energy deployment and greening transportation. It presents a model we hope many others follow.”

Katie Dykes, CT DEEP Commissioner

This state-of-the-art multi-year project is a partnership between USA, Clean Energy Fuels and Earthlight Technologies.

What’s Next for Solar?

We currently have 13 solar projects with the ability to annually produce more than 1,500,000 kilowatt hours of electricity.

To put our projects into perspective, that is sufficient to supply the electricity of 150 average sized single-family homes for an entire year!

Solar panels are expensive to install, but a worthwhile investment for our future. Electricity is provided on site and the company earns one ZREC, or credit, from the state for every 1,000 kilowatt hours produced. These credits are then sold back to the state, as an incentive for installing the solar panels. Our company continues to proactively seek and implement the most innovative and environmentally conscious solutions.

The solar production and cost savings of the panels are checked monthly to determine the best opportunities for investments in solar power at our sites. Some of our sites do not receive an ideal amount of sun to justify the cost of installing solar, but as solar panels and other energy innovations improve, we will explore expansions and continue to be leaders within the industry.