In 2017, the Delaware River Port Authority (DRPA) of Pennsylvania and New Jersey conducted a feasibility study on reducing the agency’s environmental impact and electricity costs through solar energy. In the assessment of all DRPA properties and its subsidiary, Port Authority Transit Corporation (PATCO), seven sites were selected as viable locations for rooftop and carport solar installations.
Recognizing its leadership in commercial solar installations and decades of experience, DRPA entered into a 20-year Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with TotalEnergies to execute the 22.8 MW solar project.
Estimated to produce 605 million kWh of electricity over 20 years, the DRPA solar project is one of the largest renewable energy initiatives in the transportation industry in the Greater Philadelphia region.
A mix of carport and rooftop solar systems and more than 50,000 solar panels were installed to power the electricity needs of the DRPA Headquarters One Port Center, the DRPA Commodore Barry Bridge, the DRPA Betsy Ross Bridge, the PATCO Ashland Station, the PATCO Ferry Avenue Station, the PATCO Lindenwold Station, and the PATCO Woodcrest Station.
In total, the DRPA solar systems will generate enough electricity to cover 50 percent of DRPA and PATCO’s typical energy use and spare the organization an estimated $12 million in electricity costs over 20 years. As an added bonus, the solar carports also provide much needed shade for customers’ vehicles.
