Solar Installation Underway for Hertz at Newark Liberty International Airport; Solar Installation for Hertz at JFK International Airport Expected to Start in 2015
Panasonic Enterprise Solutions Company (Panasonic) and The Hertz Corporation (NYSE:HTZ) announced the completion of two solar power installations at Hertz Rent-a-Car facilities at Denver and St. Louis International Airports. Panasonic is also building solar installations for Hertz at Newark Liberty International Airport in NJ, expected to be completed later this year, and will start construction for Hertz at John F. Kennedy Airport in NY in 2015. When completed, Panasonic's total installed solar capacity at the four Hertz airport locations will reach 1 megawatt of clean energy. The electricity generated by the installations will be used to power Hertz customer service areas and other nearby Hertz buildings.
"Significant solar projects have financial and structural complexity, but sustainable leaders such as Hertz understand they pay off in cost savings, and with a carport solar canopy provide a strong visual sign of the company's commitment to clean energy," said Panasonic Enterprise Solutions' Jamie Evans, Eco Solutions Managing Director.
"Hertz has a long standing goal regarding sustainable business practices and these new solar installations play an integral part in fulfilling that commitment," said Todd Poste, Executive Vice President, Supply Chain Management for Hertz. "With Hertz's latest solar expansion, we will increase our renewable energy generation while continuing to reduce costs companywide."
At Denver, Panasonic mounted 1,116 solar panels for Hertz; the 262-kilowatt installation is expected to generate approximately 335,000 kilowatt hours of electricity in its first year in operation, equivalent to the amount of energy used by about 33 homes over 12 months. At St. Louis, Panasonic built a 152-kilowatt solar system, designed to generate 187,000 kilowatt hours of energy in its first 12 months of operation. For Newark Liberty International Airport, Panasonic designed a 299-kilowatt photovoltaic system which is expected to generate about 331,000 kilowatt hours in its first year in operation. For the Hertz Rent-a-Car facility at JFK International Airport, Panasonic designed a 318-kilowatt solar carport installation, planned to generate 396,000 kilowatt hours of power in its first year.
Also in New York, for leading retail property owner and developer Macerich Company, Panasonic is already in the process of building a shopping center solar installation, one of 11 solar projects at Macerich shopping centers nationwide, which are expected to yield up to 10 megawatts of clean energy. For the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, Panasonic installed a solar parking lot canopy to deliver 115 kilowatts of renewable energy to the Agoura Hills, California headquarters of the foundation.
At Solar Power International 2014 in Las Vegas, Panasonic's Jamie Evans spoke about the challenges to going green—whether it is upfront cost, complex financial structures, or the need to secure strong, reliable partners at every phase of solar development—in a case study style panel entitled Simplifying Sustainability: Eliminating the Barriers to Solar Success.
