El Dorado Chevrolet & Mazda of McKinney, Texas, contracted with Sunfinity Renewable Energy and The Ratliff Group to install an approximately 1-MW solar canopy system on the car dealership’s campus.
“Our commitment to solar canopies is our biggest environmental initiative to date,” said Stanley Graff, owner of El Dorado Chevrolet. “Sunfinity was able to show us how to benefit the environment and our bottom line all at the same time, and that’s an unbeatable combination.”
The El Dorado system features 37 new car canopies, topped with 3,456 solar panels, installed at El Dorado Chevrolet & Mazda. These canopies will produce more electricity than is used on the dealership’s entire 28-acre campus. The excess energy not used on site will be exported to the state’s power grid, generating electricity credits for El Dorado.
The system is estimated to offset more than 45 million kilowatt-hours of electricity over a 30-year life, saving El Dorado more than $4 million in electricity expenses which can be reinvested into the business.
“This type of project is a win-win-win,” said John Billingsley, chairman and CEO, Sunfinity Renewable Energy. “El Dorado receives a lower utility budget certainty for decades, which enables them to dedicate those dollars to other business-building initiatives. The project helps the Texas grid by supplying power when it’s most needed. And the community benefits environmentally because El Dorado will be offsetting a significant amount of CO2—equivalent to replacing over 35 million pounds of coal burned.”
In addition to generating over 1 MW of clean energy, the Sunfinity-designed canopies will protect the automotive inventory at El Dorado from hail and weather damage, and provide a shaded, protected environment for customers to shop.
“We have been looking for a solution to the rising insurance premiums due to hail damage for our automotive clients for several years and have been impressed with the Sunfinity solar solution to car protection and electricity generation in one clean package,” said Bennett Ratliff, president of The Ratliff Group. “We believe this is a solution that delivers incredible value for El Dorado Chevrolet & Mazda and will be a model for the industry.”
News item from Sunfinity Renewable Energy
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