Martin Truex Jr. Motorsports announced the construction and implementation of a system of solar panels on their roof in Mooresville, NC. Being green may not be the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about NASCAR, but the sport has begun to buck that trend through green initiatives that extend from an ethanol-blended race fuel to a hybrid pace car. Argand Energy Solutions of Charlotte designed and built the 61 kilowatt (KW) solar electric system consisting of 192 solar modules manufactured by SunPower Corp. Each panel generates 318 watts of clean electricity. The system is large enough to power about seven average U.S. homes for an entire year. While the energy generated will be sent back Duke Power’s grid, the system will offset about 75% of the building’s electricity use. NASCAR fans can visit MTJ Motorsports to see first-hand how the solar power system works and the energy that it’s generating. The company hopes that their involvement in renewable energy generation will influence race fans to consider energy alternatives that are available to them and a more “green” lifestyle. In addition to the energy savings, the system will offset approximately 55 metric tons of carbon dioxide annually, which is equivalent to planting more than 1,400 trees and growing them for 10 years.(MTJ Motorsports)(6-9-2011)
