Beginning the week of June 1, the last phase of the ART Transit Station renovations will include the installation of the City’s first photovoltaic array, commonly referred to as solar panels. In all, 180 solar panels will be installed on the south-facing side of the passenger canopy to create a system designed to produce over 74,000 kW hours of electricity per year. This is enough electricity to power about 7 residences.
During construction, the south side of the canopy will be closed to buses and riders. Riders will need to board on Asheland Avenue. Impacted routes include: WE1 (Eastbound towards VA), WE2 (Eastbound towards Porter’s Cove Rd), N1, N2, N3, N4, N5, S2, S3, S6, and 170. Riders can also look for signage at the Transit Center for affected stops.
Installation of the panels is expected to last about 3 weeks, weather permitting.
The ART Transit Station is at 49 Coxe Ave. Previous phases of the project included a complete renovation of the interior of the station/lobby, additional outdoor seating, and upgraded lighting. New signage and public Wi-Fi access will be added in the coming weeks.
The Transit Station renovation project supports Asheville City Council goals of 100% renewable energy and implementation of the Transit Master Plan.
All of the energy from the Transit Station’s solar array will be sold back to the grid via Duke Energy. This is commonly referred to as a “sell-all” system. In a “sell-all” system, the customer buys energy from the provider and the solar array is separately metered. The energy generated by the solar array is collected through the separate meter and goes to the utility company. The utility then mails the provider a check for the electricity generated during that billing period.