Cincinnati Zoo breaks ground on largest urban solar array in U.S.

By Michelle Curley Communications Director& Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden& Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Gardens broke ground earlier this month on a 2.8 MW Melink Solar array that will provide shade for cars and buses in its Euclid Avenue parking lot, while generating power for the Zoo and its neighbors.  The Zoo has enjoyed many days “off the grid” since it installed a 1.56 MW solar array over its main parking lot in 2011. This additional array will steal the title of largest publicly accessible urban solar array in the country from the Vine St. array and  move the Zoo closer to its goal to be net zero by 2025.   Officially breaking ground on the Zoo’s new 2.8 MW solar array project, are, from left, Thane Maynard, Director/Cincinnati Zoo; City Councilmember Meeka Owens; Mark Fisher, Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Gardens VP of Facilities; State Representative Dani Isaacsohn; City Councilmember Mark Jeffreys; Steve Melink of Melink Solar; and Chair of Cincinnati Zoo’s Board of Directors. Photo by Michelle Curley, Cincinnati Zoo “We have big plans for solar in 2024,” said Mark Fisher, Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Gardens VP of facilities and sustainability. “Solar technology, and our understanding of how to use...