Miami Gets 600 Solar Bus Shelters

EcoPlanet Energy representatives and a partner media company, have come up with a brilliant give-take plan to boost their companies, its advertisers, and the city of Miami.

The media company is installing 600 solar-powered bus shelters in Miami, upon which they’ll be able to place their customer’s ads, and with no need to plug into the grid.

The shelters will save about 2 tons of CO2 emissions each, illuminating the ad panels and the shelter itself using the resource for which the state of Florida is famous.

This is one of those places where utilizing solar power seems most obvious. The energy used to light bus shelters is easily overlooked when we’re trying to change the world, but relatively small steps like this make a big difference. “It’s an exciting project, and I’m hoping will encourage other media companies vying to provide cities with their outdoor furniture to make similar moves, and for cities to push bidding companies to make innovative proposals like this.” said Jaymi Heimbuch

Source: ecogeek.org
See more information on the the benefits in our Community “Bus Shelter Solar Lighting” Solutions section.

Solar bus stops to power traffic signals

Several bus shelters to be built in Perris in California, USA will harness solar power to run nearby traffic signals.

Funding for the shelters totals $75,000, which comes in the form of a grant to the city by the Riverside Transit Agency.

Planning Manager Clara Miramontes said the city has identified six locations with high ridership that would benefit from the new bus shelters. The cost of each solar-powered bus stop is about $17,000 while the comparable cost of a traditional shelter ranges from $7,000 to $17,000.

Miramontes said installing the new shelters helps “promote the city’s goal to go green while providing better transit services to bus riders.”

Work on the new shelters is expected to begin in about 60 days.
Amrita Holden, senior managing partner of Greencrest Eneregy Solutions, the company working with Perris officials on the project, said the roofs of the shelters contain energy-absorbing panels. The panels collect the sun’s energy, which lights the shelter and powers nearby traffic signals. At night, stored energy is taken from a battery.

Perris one of two cities in Riverside County to make use of this type of shelter, Holden said. The other is Corona.

She said the cost savings will be significant. “The city will save not hundreds, but thousands of dollars in electricity costs per shelter,” she said. “The sun is paying for that electricity.”

Perris Mayor Daryl Busch said the decision to install solar-powered bus shelters continues the commitment made several years ago to “go green” with sustainable energy. Since then, Perris officials have installed solar panels on carports throughout the city, a project that earned Perris honors from the League of California Cities.

Perris Councilman Mark Yarbrough said the solar-powered bus shelters represent “one more way of reducing energy costs while bringing innovation to our City.”
“You would expect nothing less from the city of Perris,” he said. “We are always looking for cutting-edge solutions to the challenges we face.”

Source: Joe Vargo, spokesman for the city of Perris
Would you like more information about these available solutions?  See more in our Community “Bus Shelter Solar Lighting”  Solutions section.