Solar Carport Comes to California Bank
Energy Boom
A California bank will soon be using thepower of the sun to lower costs and reduce its carbon footprint. A solar electric system will be constructed on the carport of the Cathay BankCorporate Center (NASDAQ:CATY) inEl Monte.
The carport will not only offer covered parking to nearly 300 bankcustomers and employees, the 432.5 kW AC rooftop system will includemore than 2,100 solar panels. Once complete, the system is expected togenerate approximately 695,181 kWh each year.
And according to a recent press release, the solar electric system is expected to reduce energycosts by 40 percent or US$9,000 per month. The solar project is not the first sustainable effort for the Corporate Center. Waterless bathroomfixtures and recycled paper are also used.
PermaCity Solar has signed a contract to design and construct the system. PermaCity Solar,along with renewable energy consulting firm EcoMotion andaward-winning architectural firm Gensler, are working together tocreate the “most architecturally advanced solar carport design in theUnited States.”
Construction was slated to begin on June 14th and is expected to becompleted by September 2010.
Cathay Bank
Cathay Bank opened for business in a 1,000 square-foot store-frontoffice in Chinatown in 1962. Cathay was the first Chinese-Americancommercial bank in Southern California.
And if you are curious just how much money you could save on yourmonthly utility bills by using solar energy, check out PermaCity’s handyonlinesolar calculator.
Image credit: Patrick Moore
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Original Article on EnergyBoom
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