Solar power heats water to wash subway cars in New York

Looks like the sun sure is grabbing a whole lot of attention, with all the heat and energy it’s been oozing out lately. And like always, we’ve come up with loads of ways to use this energy efficiently. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) and New York Power Authority (NYPA) have come up with a great way to use solar energy too, and have installed a water heating system to wash subway cars using a solar thermal array to heat it up. These cars are washed sparkling clean with the heated water, saving the firm $94,000 of its power bill, keeping away 86 tons of carbon dioxide. The thermal system uses 48 panels, mounted onto the building’s roof, and uses interconnected pipes to transfer the water.

All this cost around $550,000, financed by the NYPA with a $150,000 grant from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA). The subway cars sure enjoy a warm bath, all thanks to this heating system.
[EmpireStateNews]