The Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden’s new solar carport is now online, and at 2.8 megawatts (MW), it’s a big one.

Terrasmart designed and installed the racking system for the project, teaming up with Melink Solar, who led the engineering, procurement, and construction. With this new solar carport, the Zoo’s total onsite solar capacity is now 4.55 MW, which meets about two-thirds of its power needs – a giant step toward its goal of reaching net zero by 2025. Terrasmart asserts that the zoo’s array “is currently the largest publicly accessible urban solar array in the country.”

“Solar technology, and our understanding of how to use it, has evolved dramatically since we erected our first solar array in 2006 on the Zoo’s education building,” said Mark Fisher, vice president of facilities, planning, and sustainability at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden. “This new array is a good example of that. It occupies less physical space but will generate almost twice as much power as the current array. Now online, two-thirds of the Zoo’s electrical needs will come from our parking lots.”

The new solar carport features nearly 5,000 bifacial panels and uses string inverter technology. It’s not just helping power the zoo – it’s also providing shade for about 800 vehicles and eliminating 1,775 tons of carbon dioxide emissions. According to zoo officials, the facility’s annual power bill is expected to drop to around $300,000 by 2030–32, a major decrease from $1.6 million in 2005.

On top of that, the zoo is paying it forward. Through its Community Solar Resiliency Program, it’s financing an additional 165 kilowatts of solar panels for smaller installations at local churches, community centers, and schools to help fight energy poverty in the neighborhood.

Melink Solar CEO Seth Parker says, “Executing this project for the Cincinnati Zoo aligns deeply with our mission to build sustainability for our clients. We are honored to support the zoo’s commitment to environmental stewardship and proud to have collaborated with all of our partners on this project.”

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