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A. Duie Pyle Begins Solar Installation at Pennsylvania Facility



A. Duie Pyle, a Northeast transportation and logistics provider, announced the company’s first large-scale solar system installation at its 570,000-square-foot Parkesburg, Pa., warehouse facility.

The installation, managed by MainLine Solar of West Chester, Pa., is one of only 10 megawatt solar projects to be implemented in the state of Pennsylvania. Construction is scheduled for completion in December.

The installation involves a roof mount of 4,464 flat panel modules and will basically cover 50 percent of the facility’s rooftop. Once completed, Pyle will have the technology to generate 1,139,213 kilowatts, or just over one megawatt, of solar energy. The solar energy produced will supply 100 percent of the electricity needs for the warehousing and distribution facility.

“Saving energy costs and protecting the environment are not mutually exclusive,” said Peter Latta, owner and chairman of A. Duie Pyle. “The installation of solar panels at one of our largest facilities is a bold move, but an important step in our plan for sustainability. Like many of our customers, ‘going green’ has become part of our sustainable growth strategy.”

Pyle is also a member of SmartWay, a program launched by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 2004 to help improve the energy efficiency of freight movement across all modes of transportation in the industry.

Happy Customer

The Parkesburg facility, one of the company’s largest warehouses, was purchased by Pyle in 1999 to serve The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company’s northeast product distribution needs.

“A. Duie Pyle is the largest third-party warehouse for Scotts and will soon be 100 percent solar,” said Jim Iovino, vice president of global logistics of The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company. “Sustainability and developing sustainable products are a corporate priority for Scotts, and we applaud A. Duie Pyle for this bold endeavor.”

Laying the Foundation

Pyle’s warehouse layout and flat roof-top design make it ideal for solar conversion and high energy output. Initial steps to the conversion began six years ago, when Pyle implemented a company-wide energy management plan to reduce its electric lighting load by nearly 60 percent.

In doing so, Pyle evolved its lighting system into a size that was manageable for solar conversion, stated Tim Koch, Pyle’s director of facility maintenance and purchasing. Solar systems have no moving parts to replace or break. They are resilient, and can withstand extreme conditions, including heat and cold, humidity, rain, snow and hail.

Photovoltaic (PV) solar technology provides for zero-emission energy production, with each kilowatt-hour produced resulting in the reduction of carbon dioxide (CO2 ) released into the atmosphere each year. Over a 25-year period, Pyle’s solar output will offset the release of over 42.4 million pounds of carbon dioxide. That’s the equivalent to the emissions produced from approximately two million gallons of gasoline or the same amount of carbon dioxide consumed by 4,000 acres of trees each year.

Funding

The company’s Parkesburg solar installation is one of 40 energy projects this year to receive a state grant through the Pennsylvania Energy Development Authority, with Pyle receiving $450,000. Additional economic incentives under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, which allows owners of commercial solar property to recover 30 percent of the cost of their system, were also available to the company.

“Solar conversion now makes great business sense and A. Duie Pyle is ahead of the curve in the Northeast,” said Craig Dwyer, chief executive officer of MainLine Solar. “Solar energy systems have become an investment strategy for our clients who share a long-term view on sustainability. Not only are the energy savings attractive, but the annual revenue gained from renewable energy credits makes it hard not to consider the economic payback of solar installations.”

Pyle is a regional transportation company with asset-based warehousing capability, offering integrated transportation and distribution services, including indoor rail-siding, transloading, LTL services, and Truckload. Pyle’s Warehousing and Distribution division now operates with seven facilities and approximately 2 million square feet of space throughout the Northeast.

MainLine Solar is a turn-key solar installation firm that manages customized solar energy system installations for residential, business and large-scale commercial projects throughout the eastern United States.

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10/13/2010 – A. Duie Pyle Begins Solar Installation at Pennsylvania Facility

A. Duie Pyle, a Northeast transportation and logistics provider, announced the company’s first large-scale solar system installation at its 570,000-square-foot Parkesburg, Pa., warehouse facility. …
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