Greeley Car Dealership Using Solar Car Port

A Greeley car dealership is giving new meaning to sustainability.

Erlich Toyota at 4732 W. 26th St. now uses a 368-kilowat custom solar car port. The new energy technology also helps prevent hail damage and is projected to save 518,000 kilowatt hours of electricity annually — the same amount of energy used by about 86 homes on average.

The Greeley dealership run by Scott Erlich receives a 30 percent federal tax credit for the project. Erlich Toyota will also receive energy credits from Xcel Energy totaling $432,000 over the next 20 years.

Erlich Toyota partnered with lPOWER Alliance of Lyons, Independent Power Systems of Boulder and L4 Construction of Greeley on the project. The car dealership has operated since 1999.