The panels cover the usable portion of the shop's 42,000-square-foot roof and produce 136 megawatt hours annually. This equates to enough energy to power 12 average-size homes and prevent the emissions of 95 tons of greenhouse gases. The panels are maintenance-free and have a life expectancy of more than 20 years.

Manheim's use of alternative energy is tied to the New Jersey Clean Energy Pilot Program, which supports businesses in selling solar renewable energy credits to local utilities. The photovoltaic solar panels capture the sun's radiation energy and convert it directly to electricity. The electricity is used to power all electrical devices in the detail shop, including lighting, vacuums and mechanical lifts.

"I'm extremely proud of how Manheim and its employees have embraced our "Go Green" initiatives. Through their efforts, we've put in place a variety of long-term conservation programs, including water-based painting, water treatment and recycling and now -- alternative energy," said Manheim president and CEO Dean Eisner. "As a result, we're able to reduce our reliance on local energy resources while making meaningful differences in our communities."

"Go Green" supports parent company Cox Enterprises' Cox Conserves, a national program aimed at further reducing Cox's total carbon footprint an additional 20 percent by 2017.

"Through our Cox Conserves environmental initiative, Cox Enterprises is proud to have partnered with Manheim New Jersey in one of our first renewable energy generation projects. We also commend the State of New Jersey in helping to provide the financial incentives for us to build this system, through their innovative Clean Energy Pilot Program," said Mike Mannheimer, vice president, supply chain services and chief procurement officer, Cox Enterprises.

"Our facility takes great pride in being the first Manheim location to install rooftop solar panels on its detail shop," said Pete Sauber, general manager, Manheim New Jersey. "Our team, partnering with the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities, realized immediately the positive impact this effort would have on the environment and the community."

Pleased with the project's early successes, Manheim New Jersey plans to install 70,000 square feet of additional panels, a move that will add 580 kilowatts of electrical capacity to the existing 130 kilowatt solar panel system.

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