HOLT Renewables is entering uncharted territory with its latest solar-powered project.
In collaboration with the bp pulse company, HOLT Renewables has announced it will design and construct novel solar-powered charging infrastructure for CapMetro, Austin's regional public transportation provider.
HOLT Renewables will design and construct a photovoltaic (PV) canopy system, which converts sunlight to usable electricity.
With a price tag of $34 million, the 12-acre project will involve the installation of over 7,000 panels and the country's largest deployment of pantograph depot chargers — overhead chargers that connect to the vehicle's battery. Once completed, the project is expected to power CapMetro's more than 200 zero-emissions buses.
Peter J. Holt, CEO and general manager of HOLT, said in a release that the project "will kickstart the transformation of public transportation in Central Texas."
"We have seen the industry shifting toward green solutions, and this visionary initiative from CapMetro will better protect people and the planet while setting the standard for a cleaner transportation system," Holt said.
bp pulse, global energy company BP p.l.c.'s (NYSE: BP) electric vehicle charging arm, will oversee installation of pantograph in-depot equipment, a mounting system that connects solar canopies to pantograph charging, HOLT Renewables wrote in a release. The PIDE canopy mount is specifically designed to be attached to a tilted solar canopy, enabling EV charging despite uneven surfaces.
Aaron Arriaga, commercial project developer at HOLT Renewables, said the project was "difficult for our engineering team, because we just had nothing to base it off of."
"With a project like this, of this magnitude, we're the first ones to do it," Arriaga said. "And we don't want to be the first ones to do it wrong."
The new charging infrastructure will be located at the North Operations bus yard ("North Ops") located at 9315 McNeil Road. Construction is slated to begin in October 2023 and wrap in January 2025.
HOLT Renewables had been preparing for the last two years for the opportunity to work with CapMetro, according to Arriaga.
Back in 2021, as part of a pledge to transition its bus fleet to zero emissions by 2035, CapMetro's board approved the purchase of 200 zero-emissions buses, the largest procurement of battery electric transit buses in the country.
Arriaga said HOLT Renewables' local presence played a key role in its selection for the project.
"We're only a stone's throw away from the actual project site," Arriaga said. "The whole executive team here sits in Austin, which is 10 miles away from the project site."
HOLT Renewables was acquired by HOLT Companies in 2019. Kevin Chavez, sales operations manager at HOLT Renewables, said this latest project plays into HOLT's overarching vision.
"With their vision of acquiring us about three years ago, they've been positioning themselves for this trend toward sustainability and renewables," Chavez said. "This is ultimately encapsulating that vision of where we fall into the fold, as they look to diversify their business and really participate in this energy transition."
HOLT Renewables has installed 7,264 solar modules at 12 locations for an annual energy production of 3,125,520 kWh, according to its website.
"This is an offset of approximately 2,215 metric tons of carbon emissions, or the equivalent of saving greenhouse gas emissions from 477 gasoline-powered passenger vehicles driven for one year," HOLT Renewables writes.
In July 2020, HOLT Renewables partnered with UniFirst to install a 232.5 kW solar array at its industrial laundry facility in San Antonio.
