Public transport depots become mini green powerplants in Bucharest

The city expects that it will recoup the 3.8-million-euro investment in the next four years

Yesterday, authorities in Bucharest announced a new investment plan to install photovoltaics (PV) on public property, mainly, the city’s public transport depots. The Romanian capital plans to invest 19 million lei (around 3.8 million euros) for the purpose.

This push for more sustainable energy in municipal infrastructure will come in the form of three separate projects all trying the same thing – to use public space for generating energy. Work on all three should be completed in the span of 12 months.

Additionally, according to an official statement, the city expects to recoup its investment in the span of four years, through the energy savings generated from the solar systems.

Building photovoltaic capacity in public transport infrastructure

The first project calls for the creation of a PV system with a production capacity of 785.33 kilowatts at peak production. It will be set up on the Ferentari, Floreasca, Obregia and Militari depots and will help to both reduce CO2 and reduce costs for public transport.

The system itself will consist of 1726 individual PV modules, each will have 144 cells. The average size of a module will be 2094x1038x35 millimetres and will weigh 23.5 kilograms. The project will cost around 5.5 million lei or just over 1 million euros.

The second project calls for a PV system for Alexandria, Bucharesti Noi, Colentina and Dudeşti depots, which should cost 6.9 million lei (1.4 million euros). The finished system, however, will produce 808.99 kilowatts at peak production and will consist of 1778 PV modules.

The third project will be located at the public transport repair plant and will have a capacity of 860 kilowatts of energy production at peak. It will, however, cost 6.8 million lei (or 1.4 million euros). The system will consist of 1890 PV modules, each of them with 144 cells.