A St. Petersburg, Fla., Planet Fitness location unveiled a new 179-kilowatt solar array in a ceremony on Friday.
The array, made up of 536 panels, will reportedly reduce the gym’s monthly energy bill to zero, not including taxes, according to owner Doug Kuiken, who told the Tampa Bay Times that previous energy bills were costing the gym more than $4,000 each month. In addition, the array will reportedly make the building a net-zero structure, meaning that it will produce at least as much total energy as it uses.
While Florida is home to many net-zero buildings, a number of them are new construction projects. Solar Energy Management, the company that oversaw the Planet Fitness installation, told the Times that the project represents the largest retrofitted net-zero building in the state.
The total costs of the project were not disclosed, but according to Solar Energy Management CEO Scott McIntyre, the gym will reportedly see a return on its investment in six years.
The array also affords the gym access to tax credits allowing for a 30 percent deduction on the total price of installation.
Florida representative Charlie Crist lauded the move, telling the Times, “I just think it’s the right thing to do.”
