TC Chevy, the largest auto dealership in Ashland, Oregon, is now taking the lead not just in electric vehicle sales but also in sustainability initiatives. The management of the successful dealership has decided to go beyond “business as usual” and invest in a state-of-the art solar power system.

“We wanted to become the first solar-powered auto dealership in the region to show our customers and the public that we care”, says Derek DeBoer, Owner and General Manager of TC Chevy. “Implementing clean energy measures is the responsible way to do business – it’s good for the environment, good for the local community, good for everyone.”

Each of the five elevated dual-axis solar trackers that tower above the vehicles carry an array of 28 Longi 445W bifacial solar panels. The Strackers’ minimum 14 feet ground clearance makes the robust solar trackers fit perfectly with the dealership’s car lot and their high-power LED lighting provides daytime illumination at night. The annual production of 140,000 kWh solar power of the 5 Strackers strengthens the local electrical grid and reduces Ashland’s carbon dioxide emissions by 99.2 metric tons per year. This impressive number is equivalent to the carbon sequestered by 117 acres of US forests every year.

The project is a great example of how a parking lot can be prepared for a Stracker installation with minimal disturbance to the pavement and the operations of the business. Local contractor partner Rogue Hills Excavation used a directional boring method instead of traditional trenching, to install the conduits in a shallow arc. This complex method has a much smaller footprint than trenching and, as such, is more environmentally friendly. Our other local partners in the installation were Purelight Power and Wilburn Electric.