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The Murray Calloway Transit Authority's HQ Might Be Going Solar

murraytransit.com

  The Murray Calloway Transit Authority is exploring the prospect of powering its offices with solar panels.

Executive director Bjarne Hansen says the MCTA currently powers its bus stop lighting with solar panels, and has been working with the Tennessee Valley Authority and Murray Electric toward making all of its operations solar-powered.

“What TVA will allow as the cap is about 50 kilowatts which is 200 solar panels, so we are looking at what our options are as far as what it would service, how much would it service," Hansen said.

Hansen said a 50 kilowatt grid would cover the MCTA’s entire electric bill, saving roughly $10,000 a year. But a high end estimate for that many solar panels runs about $150-$200,000. Hansen is currently applying for grants from charitable foundations and the federal government to help pay for the panels.

John Null is the host and creator of Left of the Dial. From 2013-2016, he also served as a reporter in the WKMS newsroom.
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