MARTA and FTA: Solar Canopy for Bus Facility
August 2014
Decatur, GA
Population: 20,000
Size: 4.2 square mile
http://www.itsmarta.com/
http://www.fta.dot.gov/
In an effort to reduce energy use and limit greenhouse (MARTA) is one of the largest transit systems in the United
gas emissions in transit agencies around the country, States. In 2009, MARTA was awarded a TIGGER grant
the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit of $10.8 million to produce a solar canopy at its Laredo
Administration (FTA) established the Transit Investment Bus Facility, near Decatur, Georgia. The proposed solar
for Greenhouse Gas and
canopy over the bus lot facility
Energy Reduction (TIGGER)
served numerous purposes. It
Program in 2009. Initially,
generated energy to reduce the
the
TIGGER
Program
cost of the bus lot’s operations;
competitively awarded $100
provided shade to reduce
million under the American
the cost of air conditioning;
Recovery and Reinvestment
protected the buses from
Act (ARRA). To be eligible
outside elements; and provided
for TIGGER funds, projects
lighting at night.2
had to demonstrate that they
would either reduce energy
MARTA used a public-private
usage, greenhouse gas
partnership (P3) to accomplish
emissions, or both. For this
the solar canopy project. While
grant, FTA defined energy
there are many variations of
consumption as energy
P3s, in general a P3 is an
purchased directly by the
agreement between a public
Photo Credit: Aerial Innovations of GA, Inc.
public transportation agency,
entity (federal, state, or local)
and emissions as those emitted directly by the assets of the and a private company. In the short-term, this partnership
public transportation agency. During the selection process, attracts private sector investment in a public infrastructure
projects were evaluated on six criteria: total projected project while providing a long-term financial benefit to the
energy or greenhouse gas emission savings, innovation, private partner in repayment. MARTA used a design-build
national applicability, readiness, management, and return variation for this project, executing a single, fixed-fee contract
on investment. For the projects that were selected, the for both architectural/engineering services and construction.
National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) was tasked
with providing the third-party assessment to determine the
MARTA chose this approach
1
effectiveness of the TIGGER Program.
because their staff did not
possess the needed technical
expertise in solar technology.
“The Federal Transit Administration was proud to partner
with MARTA on one of the largest and most innovative
MARTA awarded its contract to
solar-energy projects in public transportation. The Laredo
New South LLC for its engineering
Garage project is a great example of public transportation’s
expertise and to Circle D for
capacity to operate sustainably and efficiently, which is good
the construction phase. The
news for MARTA and its thousands of riders. This project
solar panels were produced by
also demonstrates that when federal, state, and local
Suniva, a manufacturer based in metro-Atlanta, GA that
governments team up with private-sector innovators, we
manufactures high-efficiency crystalline silicon solar cells
achieve great things for the American people.”
and high-power solar modules.
– FTA
Operating a bus service since 1972 and containing a fleet of
537 buses, the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority
When MARTA completed the project in March 2012, a total
of 4,903 solar panels were installed above the constructed
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Washington, DC 20002 • Phone: 202.986.1032 • Fax: 202.986.1038
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“MARTA has been able to offset about half of the energy costs
at the Laredo garage since the installation of the solar panels.”
– MARTA GM/CEO Keith T. Parker, AICP
Lessons Learned:
For regional planning organizations or municipalities looking
to replicate such a project, there are few things to keep in
mind:
•
Photo Credit: Aerial Innovations of GA, Inc.
canopy at the bus facility, covering 855,557 square feet. In
addition to the solar panels, MARTA installed a system to
monitor the performance of the solar array, allowing for realtime remote monitoring of the power production of the system.
Combiner boxes and inverters monitor temperature and solar
string currents, convert DC power into AC power, minimize
power loss, and provide grounding for the solar array.
In the first year, the completed project resulted in energy
savings of more than 1.3 million kWh, which is approximately
a little over one-third of the agency’s total electrical use.
Over its projected 45 year lifespan, the system is expected
to produce 54 million kWh. The first year cost savings were
approximately $78,223 (44% reduction from previous years)
with projected lifetime cost savings of $1,894,183. An average
of 50,000 kWh of electricity were sold back to the utility through
a net metering agreement. In addition to the reduced energy
consumption and energy savings, the project produced
approximately 40 jobs during its construction.3 This project
serves as a replicable model for transit agencies nationwide
and will hopefully spur the growth of similar projects.
•
•
•
•
Public-Private Partnerships: Consider using a publicprivate partnership as in-house staff may not have
expertise in the technology that will be used in the
project. This expertise is crucial, even in the early stages
of project development.
Defining Your Project: It is important to know the
practicability of what you are trying to achieve and what
limitations there are before proceeding. Review similar
projects and reach out to other organizations to get an
idea of best practices.
Plan Ahead: Determine best locations, environmental
impacts, and development costs before introducing the
solar initiative.
Early Involvement of Key Stakeholders: Early
coordination with utility and permitting officials will help
streamline the planning process and allow for the full
consideration of development costs and the overall cost
structure.
Consider Future Growth: When creating the project
plan, consider the possibility of future growth. Preparing
for a possible expansion during construction of the first
phase can provide considerate cost savings during the
second phase.
1 “TIGGER Program Overview”, FTA, http://www.fta.dot.gov/documents/
TIGGER_Overview_r3_w150.pdf, (March 2012)
2 “MARTA Offsets Electricity Use by Installing PV-Integrated Shade Canopies
at its Laredo Bus Facility”, FTA, http://www.fta.dot.gov/documents/TIGGER_
GA-77-0001_MARTA_Laredo.pdf, (May, 2012); “Renewable Energy-Solar
Project Case Study: MARTA Laredo Bus Facility Solar Canopies”, NREL,
(2014)
3 “Renewable Energy-Solar Project Case Study”; “TIGGER Program Overview”
The National Association of Regional Councils
777 North Capitol Street NE, Suite 305
Washington, DC 20002
202.986.1032 phone
202.986.10328 fax
www.NARC.org
About the National Association of Regional Councils
The National Association of Regional Councils (NARC) serves as the
national voice for regionalism by advocating for regional cooperation as
the most effective way to address a variety of community planning and
development opportunities and issues. NARC’s member organizations
are composed of multiple local governments that work together to serve
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information, please visit www.NARC.org.