Emissions & Efficiency

Estes expands solar-power footprint

Feb. 8, 2016

Installation of new panel grid at Greensboro Terminal

Estes Express Lines announced the completed installation of a new photovoltaic solar power system at the company’s Greensboro, NC, terminal location. Consisting of 2,760 solar panels located on the roof of the terminal, the power system will generate one megawatt of electricity, a figure equal to the removal of 145 passenger vehicles from the roads or 720 tons of carbon dioxide, annually, the company said. “The Greensboro solar project is the company’s largest photovoltaic installation to date,” says Joe Ziadeh, Estes’ construction and facility maintenance project manager. “The system was designed to produce enough electricity to power all the buildings on site. With the combination of state and federal tax incentives and Duke Powers’ Solar Renewable Energy program, it was a great opportunity for Estes to go green in Greensboro.” Operating within the Piedmont Triad region since 1967, Estes’ Greensboro terminal utilizes its 130 doors to serve customers across the mid-Atlantic. The state incentives, size of the terminal and Duke Power’s Solar Renewable Energy program made the Greensboro terminal an easy choice as the next terminal to house Estes’ solar power initiative. “Going forward, a dedicated team at Estes’ corporate office in Richmond, VA, will monitor energy production remotely,” says Estes’ corporate secretary Steve Hupp. “This real-time monitoring will allow the company to translate the data and track all energy savings.” The installation project was completed in conjunction with Green State Power (GSP), a Greensboro-based turnkey solar developer working in the residential, commercial and utility markets. The project took approximately six weeks with GSP and Estes facilities management teams working closely in order to not disrupt the terminal’s regular daily operations. Solar power was fully interconnected into the Duke Energy power grid in early December 2015.