Solar Panels on Their Way to the Lafayette BART Station

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Published January 25th, 2017

Solar Panels on Their Way to the Lafayette BART Station

By Nick Marnell

Photo courtesy Bay Area Rapid Transit

Finding a parking spot at the Lafayette BART station becomes even trickier Feb. 6 when construction crews start to fence off areas in the parking lot to allow installation of solar-paneled carports as part of a project the transit agency board authorized in October.

BART entered into a 20-year power purchase agreement with San Mateo-based SolarCity to design, install, operate and maintain solar panels on the Lafayette station property, with the money to fund the $3.85 million project coming from the BART energy operating budget. The agency will purchase all of the electricity generated and use it throughout the system, making the Lafayette installation one of BART's largest solar generation facilities, according to the district.

As additional benefits to customers the panel canopies will feature LED lighting on the underside for safety, and will provide shade from the California sun.

"We apologize for the inconvenience this will cause and are trying to minimize disruption to folks trying to get a ride on BART, thus working on smaller sections of the lot at a time," said BART spokesman Taylor Huckaby. "We encourage riders to carpool together or seek an alternate means of transportation like bicycle or bus to get to the station."

The work will proceed in three phases with approximately 200 parking spaces fenced off at a time over a six-week period. Huckaby said that Lafayette riders can expect no service disruptions as a result of the project because work will be done only in the parking lot.

SolarCity completed a similar installation at the new Warm Springs station, which has yet to begin train service, and plans to install solar panels at the new Antioch eBART station this fall.

BART recommended a solar installation for the Orinda station six years ago but was rebuffed over concerns that the project would conflict with plans for the city's downtown development.



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