Green Mountain Energy Sun Club, a renewable energy retailer, has donated 10 new solar-powered golf carts to Philadelphia Zoo.
The trams are funded by a $100,000 grant from the Sun Club and enhance the zoo’s existing sustainability initiatives enabling zoo employees to get around the 42-acre park more quickly and efficiently.
Each solar-powered golf cart can generate enough clean energy to drive more than 1,600 miles annually, which is about the same as driving from the zoo to the Statue of Liberty 16 times!
The use of solar power to charge the golf carts reduces the amount of traditional electricity needed to recharge the vehicles by 50 percent, according to officials at Sun Club.
Tony Napolillo, executive director of the Sun Club, said, “Philadelphia Zoo was chosen to receive this solar donation because of its positive influence in the Philadelphia community and its integrated conservation strategy that includes educational programming, wildlife conservation campaigns and onsite operational sustainability.”
The Sun Club began in 2002 as a program of Green Mountain Energy, the nation’s longest serving renewable energy retailer. Since then, the Sun Club has donated more than $3.8 million to sustainable programs in New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania and Texas.
In addition to this donation to the zoo, the Sun Club has dedicated solar projects to other non-profits in the Philadelphia area, including Greensgrow Farms, Green Woods Charter School and the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS) on behalf of local customer contributions.
Implementation of the new solar-powered golf carts affirms the zoo’s commitment to excellence in animal care and to inspiring guests to conservation action, officials added.
The zoo has been engaged in operational sustainability programs to continuously improve energy efficiency, reduce and manage greenhouse gas emissions, consistently conserve and reuse water, thoughtfully manage storm-water on site, and conserve resources and avoid the use of hazardous materials through waste diversion and green purchasing.
Rajani Baburajan