Martin Truex, Jr. - Racing to Solar Energy

May 26, 2011 - PRLog -- “Renewable energy is an excellent way to lessen our dependency on nuclear energy and foreign oil. Our plan is to continue focusing on opportunities in the eco-friendly space,” said Truex.  

Being green may not be the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about NASCAR, but the sport has begun to buck that trend through green initiatives that extend from an ethanol-blended race fuel to a hybrid pace car. Drivers like Truex and Lelani Munter are leading the charge to a cleaner and greener NASCAR.

Argand Energy Solutions of Charlotte designed and built the 61 kilowatt (KW) solar electric system consisting of 192 solar modules manufactured by SunPower Corp. Each panel generates 318 watts of clean electricity. The system is large enough to power about seven average U.S. homes for an entire year. While the energy generated will be sent back Duke Power’s grid, the system will offset about 75 percent of the building’s electricity use.

NASCAR fans can visit MTJ Motorsports to see first-hand how the solar power system works and the energy that it’s generating. The company hopes that their involvement in renewable energy generation will influence race fans to consider energy alternatives that are available to them and a more “green” lifestyle.

“If we all participated in renewable energy sources at some level, together we’d have a tremendous impact on conservation and help lessen dependency on foreign resources,” said Truex.

In addition to the energy savings, the Solar PV system will offset approximately 55 metric tons of carbon dioxide annually, which is equivalent to planting more than 1,400 trees and growing them for 10 years.

“The NASCAR community has always been at the forefront of technology and performance, and it is really great to see a forward-thinking driver like Martin illustrate what can be done,” said Argand president Erik Lensch.

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