Solar Power Saves New York Subway System Millions

Solar power is often pigeonholed in ways that limit its use. Thinking outside of the box can make solar power dynamic as the New York subway system has found in saving millions of dollars.

Bring up the subject of solar panels, and what does just about anyone think about? They think of panels up on a roof of a home. The panels produce electricity and that is about the extent of anyone’s knowledge. While this is certainly an accurate vision, solar power offers so much more. One just has to look at New York as an example.

Get A Free Solar Quote Today - Click Here

New York is often described as the proverbial concrete jungle. Ready for a surprise? It actually lives up to its moniker of the Big Apple. The city has gone green in a huge way. All new buildings are required to meet very stringent green building codes and old buildings are being retrofitted in that direction as well. Roof top gardens are common and encouraged. Heck, even the public garbage cans are run by solar these days.

Now New York has figured out another out-of-the-box use for solar power. The city is putting solar panels on the top of the transit building at Cooney Island. The purpose of the system? To heat the water that is used to clean the train cars. The cost of the system is $550,000, which may sound like a lot until you consider the savings. It is estimated New York will save $7.5 million a year in heating energy costs. Now that is a return on investment!

Join Our Free Solar Newsletter

Solar power can be used in a host of different mediums these days. They can be as large as creating massive solar power plants that produce electricity for millions to units such as the one New York that heat water for cleaning to fold out panels to charge your phone or laptop. There is a competition of sorts between wind power and solar to determine which is the better clean energy platform. Wind has its strengths, but solar is clearly more flexible and can be used in many more mediums. New York has just proved as much.

<< Solar Power