Even a cloudy day didn’t stop power production at the Estes Express Lines trucking terminal
in West Middlesex, PA, gateway facility to the northeast.
Estes is one of the largest employers in the Shenango Valley area, employing 470 individuals with family-sustaining wages and “on the job” training.
At their
recent ribbon cutting ceremony, Estes showed off 2,150 roof-mounted solar panels
that were installed with quick and efficient speed by Dynamic Energy Solutions of Wayne,
PA. The solar project was funded in part by a grant through DEP via the PA
Energy Development Authority grant program. The 688kW array is expected to produce
about 787,000 kilowatt hours of electricity each year or the equivalent of
annual energy production for eighty average homes in PA. This, in addition to an upcoming upgrade to
energy efficient LED lighting, will account for more than 90% of the West
Middlesex terminal’s annual electric consumption.This new system’s annual output
translates to these carbon-emissions equivalents:
- 46,924
gallons of diesel fuel
- 80
homes powered for one year
- 15,548
trees cleansing the area for one year
This is
not Estes’ first time committing to solar energy. They have installed solar power at three
other sites, one in North Carolina and two in Maryland. Bob O’Connor, regional vice president of
Estes Northeast, said, “Estes is committed to do their part when it makes
environmental and business sense to do so.”
Gov. Tom
Wolf expects Pennsylvania to become a leader in solar energy. Toward this end, Finding Pennsylvania's Solar Future is the statewide project team, led by DEP, developing
a plan to source 10 percent of PA’s electricity consumption from in-state solar
projects by 2030. The project team holds quarterly public meetings: Find
out more about their next meeting, September 14 at Villanova
University.
For more information, check out our Energy Success Story: Estes Express Lines case study.