CASE STUDY: Charlotte Motor Speedway

The Partner

Charlotte Motor Speedway is an entertainment staple, not only in its community but to all NASCAR and racing fans across the country; and they have gone solar! CMS has been putting on family-friendly events since it was first built in 1959, and has spared no expense when it comes to providing people with the best experience possible. Their new solar endeavour is a clear reflection of their commitment to their fans and the natural environment.

The Challenge

The speedway holds numerous racing and community events throughout the year. The track is also home to many amenities and services that are available to fans during events. Because of the heavy volume of activity constantly at the track, they have always racked up hefty energy costs while unintentionally impacting the environment. Aware of these issues, Charlotte Motor Speedway sought out opportunities that would help them make the necessary changes to hopefully become more sustainable and cost efficient in any way that they could. This search led them in the direction of solar energy, as they investigated it further. 

The RENU Solution

 Impressed by local solar energy company, Renu Energy Solutions, the speedway became more and more interested in the possibility. Representatives from Renu’s experienced team were able to develop a design for a 247 kilowatt array on the 42,000-square-foot Turn 4 Sun Deck for the track. In collaboration with CMS, it was decided that this would be the ideal size installation to meet their environmental and financial goals. 

 CMS was also able to move forward with the project in light of 2 public programs that helped save them money. They were able to secure a 30% federal tax credit and received $100,000 through Duke Energy’s solar rebate program. Both of these efforts helped make the speedways decision to officially commit much easier. 

 CMS will offset 491,125 pounds of carbon dioxide in just one year. This is equivalent to the amount of carbon sequestered by 291 acres of U.S. forests or 245,463 pounds of coal burned.