ConEdison Solutions and Volvo Group North America have announced completion of a 5,000-panel parking-lot solar canopy at Volvo Group's Hagerstown, Maryland powertrain manufacturing facility.

The canopy - which will generate clean, renewable electricity at the facility - is among the largest solar carport installations on the East Coast.

The solar facility - developed in collaboration with Charlotte-based Entropy Solar Integrators - is owned and operated by ConEdison Solutions, one of America's largest energy services companies and a prominent owner/operator of renewable projects for businesses and government.

"Across the United States, forward-thinking organizations are recognizing both the environmental and economic benefits of solar power," said Michael N. Perna, Vice President of ConEdison Solutions.

"We applaud the Volvo Group as a role model for manufacturers nationwide and for fortifying its status as a world leader in sustainable transportation."

Under a 20-year power purchase agreement with ConEdison Solutions, the solar canopy will produce 1.3 megawatts (MW) of electricity to be delivered directly to the Volvo facility and help offset the plant's electrical demand.

The partnership with ConEdison Solutions serves as an example of the Volvo Group's long-standing, corporate commitment to sustainability.

Because solar panels generate electricity with zero emissions, energy produced by the solar canopy is equivalent to eliminating the annual greenhouse gas emissions of 236 average passenger vehicles, based on calculations by Entropy Solar Integrators.

In Hagerstown, the panels were mounted to carport-like frames situated over parking spaces, with the added benefit of providing parked vehicles with shelter from the elements.

Among ConEdison Solutions' various solar projects is the Falmouth Youth Hockey League's Ice Arena in East Falmouth, Massachusetts. Like Volvo Group, the league entered into a 20-year power purchase agreement with ConEdison Solutions.

The arena, which boasts 3,302 solar panels on rooftops as well as carports, provides approximately 900,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity annually.

Solar carports have gained in popularity because they are considered an efficient and innovative way to reduce organizations' carbon footprint while often also saving money and increasing resiliency.