(MARTA) is one of the largest transit systems in the United States. In 2009, MARTA was awarded a TIGGER grant of $10.8 million to produce a solar canopy at its Laredo Bus Facility, near Decatur, Georgia. The proposed solar

canopy over the bus lot facility served numerous purposes. It generated energy to reduce the cost of the bus lot’s operations; provided shade to reduce the cost of air conditioning; protected the buses from outside elements; and provided lighting at night.2

MARTA used a public-private partnership (P3) to accomplish the solar canopy project. While there are many variations of P3s, in general a P3 is an agreement between a public entity (federal, state, or local)

and a private company. In the short-term, this partnership attracts private sector investment in a public infrastructure project while providing a long-term financial benefit to the private partner in repayment. MARTA used a design-build variation for this project, executing a single, fixed-fee contract for both architectural/engineering services and construction.

MARTA chose this approach because their staff did not possess the needed technical expertise in solar technology. MARTA awarded its contract to New South LLC for its engineering expertise and to Circle D for the construction phase. The solar panels were produced by

Suniva, a manufacturer based in metro-Atlanta, GA that manufactures high-efficiency crystalline silicon solar cells and high-power solar modules.

When MARTA completed the project in March 2012, a total of 4,903 solar panels were installed above the constructed

In an effort to reduce energy use and limit greenhouse gas emissions in transit agencies around the country, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration (FTA) established the Transit Investment for Greenhouse Gas and Energy Reduction (TIGGER) Program in 2009. Initially, the TIGGER Program competitively awarded $100 million under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). To be eligible for TIGGER funds, projects had to demonstrate that they would either reduce energy usage, greenhouse gas emissions, or both. For this grant, FTA defined energy consumption as energy purchased directly by the public transportation agency, and emissions as those emitted directly by the assets of the public transportation agency. During the selection process, projects were evaluated on six criteria: total projected energy or greenhouse gas emission savings, innovation, national applicability, readiness, management, and return on investment. For the projects that were selected, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) was tasked with providing the third-party assessment to determine the effectiveness of the TIGGER Program.1

Operating a bus service since 1972 and containing a fleet of 537 buses, the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority

National Association of Regional Councils • 777 North Capitol Street NE • Suite 305Washington, DC 20002 • Phone: 202.986.1032 • Fax: 202.986.1038

www.NARC.org

MARTA and FTA: Solar Canopy for Bus Facility August 2014

Decatur, GAPopulation: 20,000

Size: 4.2 square milehttp://www.itsmarta.com/

http://www.fta.dot.gov/

“The Federal Transit Administration was proud to partner with MARTA on one of the largest and most innovative solar-energy projects in public transportation. The Laredo Garage project is a great example of public transportation’s capacity to operate sustainably and efficiently, which is good news for MARTA and its thousands of riders. This project also demonstrates that when federal, state, and local governments team up with private-sector innovators, we achieve great things for the American people.” – FTA

Photo Credit: Aerial Innovations of GA, Inc.

Lessons Learned:

For regional planning organizations or municipalities looking to replicate such a project, there are few things to keep in mind:

• Public-Private Partnerships: Consider using a public-private partnership as in-house staff may not have expertise in the technology that will be used in the project. This expertise is crucial, even in the early stages of project development.

• Defining Your Project: It is important to know the practicability of what you are trying to achieve and what limitations there are before proceeding. Review similar projects and reach out to other organizations to get an idea of best practices.

• Plan Ahead: Determine best locations, environmental impacts, and development costs before introducing the solar initiative.

• Early Involvement of Key Stakeholders: Early coordination with utility and permitting officials will help streamline the planning process and allow for the full consideration of development costs and the overall cost structure.

• Consider Future Growth: When creating the project plan, consider the possibility of future growth. Preparing for a possible expansion during construction of the first phase can provide considerate cost savings during the second phase.

canopy at the bus facility, covering 855,557 square feet. In addition to the solar panels, MARTA installed a system to monitor the performance of the solar array, allowing for real-time remote monitoring of the power production of the system. Combiner boxes and inverters monitor temperature and solar string currents, convert DC power into AC power, minimize power loss, and provide grounding for the solar array.

In the first year, the completed project resulted in energy savings of more than 1.3 million kWh, which is approximately a little over one-third of the agency’s total electrical use. Over its projected 45 year lifespan, the system is expected to produce 54 million kWh. The first year cost savings were approximately $78,223 (44% reduction from previous years) with projected lifetime cost savings of $1,894,183. An average of 50,000 kWh of electricity were sold back to the utility through a net metering agreement. In addition to the reduced energy consumption and energy savings, the project produced approximately 40 jobs during its construction.3 This project serves as a replicable model for transit agencies nationwide and will hopefully spur the growth of similar projects. 1 “TIGGER Program Overview”, FTA, http://www.fta.dot.gov/documents/TIGGER_Overview_r3_w150.pdf, (March 2012)

2 “MARTA Offsets Electricity Use by Installing PV-Integrated Shade Canopies at its Laredo Bus Facility”, FTA, http://www.fta.dot.gov/documents/TIGGER_GA-77-0001_MARTA_Laredo.pdf, (May, 2012); “Renewable Energy-Solar Project Case Study: MARTA Laredo Bus Facility Solar Canopies”, NREL, (2014)

3 “Renewable Energy-Solar Project Case Study”; “TIGGER Program Overview”

About the National Association of Regional CouncilsThe National Association of Regional Councils (NARC) serves as the national voice for regionalism by advocating for regional cooperation as the most effective way to address a variety of community planning and development opportunities and issues. NARC’s member organizations are composed of multiple local governments that work together to serve American communities – large and small, urban and rural. For additional information, please visit www.NARC.org.

The National Association of Regional Councils777 North Capitol Street NE, Suite 305

Washington, DC 20002202.986.1032 phone202.986.10328 faxwww.NARC.org

Photo Credit: Aerial Innovations of GA, Inc.

“MARTA has been able to offset about half of the energy costs at the Laredo garage since the installation of the solar panels.”

– MARTA GM/CEO Keith T. Parker, AICP