FutureWire - futurism and emerging technology

Thursday, July 14, 2005

NYC Gets Solar-Powered Train Terminal

A newly renovated subway station on Brooklyn's Stillwell Avenue is New York City's first solar-powered train station. The station receives power from a 76,000-square-foot solar roof, which will generate about 250,000 kilowatt hours a year.

The solar cells are 5' x 20' glass plates with strips of thin silicon film. Rather than being afterthoughts, the solar panels are an integral part of the station's architecture. They were also designed for easy maintenance and durability.

"For the first time, the city's subway system will have a clean and efficient source of energy, an environmentally sound way to keep this terminal up and running round the clock, year round," says Donald Press, General Manager, Advanced Materials. "The MTA has surely set an example for the rest of nation." The solar roof was manufactured by RWE SCHOTT Solar.

Source: SustainableBusiness.com