Shirley, Mass – NorthStar Construction Services, a full service roofing contractor, recently added a fully electric vehicle to their company fleet. They have taken the next logical step in acquiring a new 100% electric vehicle, an “Active E” coupe. And to power this electric vehicle NorthStar happens to have more than 360 solar panels installed on the roof of its 20,400 square-foot headquarters in Shirley, Massachusetts. “Now that is taking solar energy from the roof to the road,” says John La Stella, President and founder of NorthStar Construction Services.
NorthStar continues to work towards being recognized as a “green roofer!” “This addition to our vehicle fleet makes sense for us with the recent installation of our roof top solar system. It takes only a small fraction of our 92 kw solar system to provide the energy to charge this electric vehicle,” reports John La Stella.
NorthStar is one of the approved participants in the Boston area to take part in this field study for BMW. The Active E has a driving range of up to 100 miles on a full charge. The feedback and data we can provide from using this vehicle in a commercial setting and charging it with solar power will be beneficial to the manufacturer in their continued improvements to future electric vehicles.” explains Mr. La Stella. “It takes some adjustments, you have to consciously plan the round trip distance and if there are any charging stations along the route. One of the nicest rewards with this vehicle is that you can do the right thing for the environment and not compromise fun, proving there is joy in sustainability” says John La Stella with a smile.
According to Mr. La Stella, NorthStar has taken many steps in the past 12 months to improve their sustainability which includes the following; installing solar panels on the roof of their facility to provide 100% of their energy needs; operating their own fueling station to better manage fuel consumption and costs; consolidating all their operations under one roof; conducting an energy audit; installing a new high efficiency HVAC system; participating in the Energy Star Program; and recycling all waste including as much as possible from job sites.