FRAMINGHAM, MA – December 4, 2013 – The Herb Connolly Auto Group, a Boston MetroWest Acura, Chevrolet and Hyundai auto dealer, has increased its commitment to renewable energy, working with Solect Energy Development of Hopkinton to install a new 40 kW solar PV (photovoltaic) system on the canopy roof of its new 16-space carport located at its Chevrolet dealership on Route 9 in Framingham. The carport houses charging stations for the dealership’s fast-selling Chevy Volt electric vehicles.
The carport project is part of Herb Connolly’s ongoing commitment to solar – the company earlier this fall worked with Solect to install a 200 kW solar photovoltaic (PV) renewable energy system on the roof of its Acura and Hyundai dealerships, and a 185 kW system on the roof of its Chevrolet dealership. These projects are expected to help the company trim its electric bills by more than 50 percent annually.
“The Chevy Volt continues to be one of our fastest-selling models, and this project helps us demonstrate to our customers and to the community our total commitment to renewable energy and the environment,” said Adam Connolly, co-owner at Herb Connolly Auto Group. “Solect understood our vision for these projects and helped us implement them quickly and effectively.”
In addition to the “green” aspects of its solar projects, Herb Connolly was also able to take advantage of attractive state and federal tax incentives that help make renewable energy projects affordable for businesses. These include SRECs (Solar Renewable Energy Certificates), which solar system owners earn based on the amount of energy they generate via solar. SRECs are ultimately purchased by electrical utility providers in Massachusetts to help meet their state-mandated goals of a percentage of power coming from renewable energy sources. This is a good revenue stream for those property owners who choose solar solutions. The savings that Herb Connolly generates through its new solar systems, along with the revenue generated through SRECs, made deploying solar a win-win situation.
“It was a pleasure to work with Herb Connolly Auto Group to add the carport system into their overall solar program,” said Alex Keally, business development partner at Solect. “Their focus throughout the process has been on reducing the company’s carbon footprint. Because of that, they are able to reduce their overall energy costs by more than 50 percent and, through SRECs, add to their bottom line as well.”
