Charlotte Motor Speedway “greener” than ever

Fans attending the races at Charlotte Motor Speedway over the next 10 days might notice the speedway is greener than ever. Solar energy green.

The speedway expects to save more than 3,000 gallons of diesel fuel through May 29 by using 79 mobile solar products throughout the grounds.

Fans will see 60 solar light towers, 10 solar generators, four solar personal device charging stations and five solar electric vehicle charging stations.

The units offer everything from free phone and EV charging to safety lighting in the parking lots.

The speedway partnered with DC Solar on the effort. The company is a California-based designer and manufacturer of renewable energy products.

The products require no fuel, and operation is completely silent, which makes the environmental impact virtually non-existent, speedway officials said.

“As both the CEO of a green energy company and a lifetime NASCAR fan, I am proud to support the efforts being undertaken at Charlotte Motor Speedway to incorporate clean and sustainable energy into their operations,” DC Solar CEO Jeff Carpoff said in a news release.

Given the 2,000 acres that encompass the speedway, “it is a must that we promote environmentally sound forms of energy storage,” said Shaun Johnson, speedway director of operations.

This story was originally published May 20, 2016 at 7:36 AM with the headline "Charlotte Motor Speedway “greener” than ever."