Capitol Express goes solar

On April 10, Capitol Express Transportation held a ribbon-cutting to celebrate the installation of a 27-kilowatt solar array at its facility at 918 Watson Ave. in Madison. Contributing partners RENEW Wisconsin, the City of Madison, and installer Full Spectrum Solar also shared in the celebration. Madison-based Full Spectrum Solar installed the 90-panel array atop Capitol Express Transportation’s facility in March. The building houses Capitol Express’s fleet of buses and vans, a mechanic’s shop where they perform 95 percent of their own vehicle maintenance, and their corporate offices. Capitol Express received a $4,000 grant from the MadiSUN Solar for Business program to help with the installation cost of the solar panels. The 27-kilowatt array will cut Capitol Express Transportation’s electric use by 65 percent and will save the business thousands of dollars per year in annual utility costs. It is estimated the solar panels will pay for themselves in approximately 10 years, and the solar array will continue to generate electricity for an additional 20 to 25 years. Capitol Express provides transportation services for ambulatory passengers and passengers utilizing wheelchairs and stretchers throughout Dane County and the surrounding area. (For information on getting your event featured in the IB Gallery, email jason@ibmadison.com.)