Brooklyn Bridge Park: Greenest Destination in New York City

Alternative Energy, Environment

New York City’s Brooklyn Bridge Park is getting even greener with the addition of a solar brooklyn-bridge-parkpowered electric vehicle (EV) charging station – the first of its kind in New York City. Brooklyn Bridge Park has already added a number of green areas with lush grass, making it a great spot for both locals and tourists to enjoy the fabulous view of Manhattan and this EV charging station is the latest and unique green energy addition. The station will likely reduce the carbon emission inside the park to a great extent.

A Gift from Beautiful Earth Group

This solar powered EV charging station, the very first in NYC, is a gift from Beautiful Earth Group (BE), a renewable energy company based in Brooklyn. Before donating it, BE operated the station for its own use out of an industrial lot in Red Hook. Now the station has joined the sustainability endeavors of Brooklyn Bridge Park. Looking at the success of the EV station, BE is hoping that other parks and companies will follow suit and become more eco-conscious – aiding in the pursuit to emit less and less fossil fuels and converting to renewable, green, and clean energy sources.

The EV Charging Station

The EV charging station is built out of two upcycled shipping containers whose roof houses solar panels that generate solar energy and transfer it to battery packs for storage. It produces about 5.6 kilowatts of power, enough to charge five of the park’s electric service vehicles, a full-size electric car, and a small house. The presence of the station will save the park some $200,000 in gasoline expenses. The park’s choice of electric service vehicles rather than traditional ones will also prevent approximately 530 tons of carbon dioxide emissions. To add to its advantages, the station is also modular and can be moved elsewhere and reassembled in less than 24 hours.

Green Ethics of Brooklyn Bridge Park

This solar powered EV station is the latest in the park’s initiative towards a more eco-friendly city and surroundings. Other sustainable efforts and recycling projects include:

  • Reuse of materials from demolished buildings
  • Growing of native plant species for naturally sustainable landscaping
  • Reintroduction of natural marine habitats
  • Managing of rainwater for maximum utilization
  • Mayor Bloomberg’s PlaNYC

The goal of PlaNYC is to reduce the carbon footprint in New York City by at least 30% by the year 2030. The solar powered EV charging station is part of this goal and is predicted to greatly reduce fossil fuel use and dependency. Brooklyn Bridge Park’s endeavours in green sustainability will no doubt inspire more parks, and more people will turn towards eco-friendly renewable energy sources for a greener future universe.

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