Hobbs Brook Management LLC, a pioneer in the development of office space in the Boston suburbs, has completed its $4 million, 724 KW solar canopy system that is situated atop the north and south garages at 404 Wyman St. in the Hobbs Brook Office Park. A celebration of the achievement was held on December 11 in appreciation of Hobbs Brook building tenants who worked through construction activities this fall. In addition, a $2,500 charitable donation was made to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's "Light the Night" program. Hobbs Brook partnered with Columbia Energy on the project.
Hobbs Brook's mission is to continue advancing sustainable improvements in its properties. In addition to the solar array, the firm recently installed 16 dual port electric vehicle charging stations throughout the Waltham and Norwood office parks, with access through Chargepoint.
"This event is primarily to thank all of our tenants for putting up with construction activities and reduced parking while we completed our solar project. We can't thank them enough for their patience and support throughout the construction," said Kevin Casey, first vice president and director of the construction and real estate division of Hobbs Brook. "We are also thrilled to put forth another sustainable project to support our company mission, and are thrilled to include the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society in our celebration."
Solar Canopy
The 724 kilowatt solar canopy systems are supported by long-span structural steel framing that is installed on the existing precast concrete columns at the two garage structures on Wyman St. The PV solar canopies consist of 2,390 solar modules (panels) that are rated at 305 watts. Future plans include constructing solar canopy systems on the roofs of the newly constructed 275 Wyman St. building across the street, as well as 610 Lincoln St. and 95 Hayden Ave. in Lexington, Mass. Able to withstand snow and designed to control water runoff, the panels are tilted to maximize energy output. The new arrays will provide Hobbs Brook Management and its tenants with:
* 100% renewable power generation onsite, which will be fed back into the existing electrical switchgear and will reduce the electrical power purchased from utility companies;
* Zero carbon emissions while generating 825,000 kw hours of electricity annually from the sun;
* Covered garage parking for 404 Wyman St. tenants and visitors;
* Reduced snow removal and salting operations that can damage concrete structures and surrounding ecosystems; and
* More than 20 million kw hours of electric generation over the lifetime of the system.

Electric Vehicle
Charging Stations
As another commitment to becoming a leader in sustainable commercial development, Hobbs Brook has installed sixteen dual-port Chargepoint Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Stations throughout their Waltham and Norwood, Mass. campuses. These stations are part of a series of sustainable projects that HBM currently has underway, and were activated in early November. Vehicles with a SAE J1772 standard connecting port can be fully charged at these stations, including plug-in hybrids, and are open to the public. The stations allow EV owners to secure preferred parking while charging their vehicles at the following buildings:
* 175 & 185 Wyman St. Garages, Waltham Mass.
* 303/333 Wyman St., Waltham, Mass.
* 404 Wyman St. North Garage, West Entrance, Waltham, Mass.
* 404 Wyman St. South Garage, East Entrance, Waltham, Mass.
* 590 Lincoln St., Waltham, Mass.
* 1175 Boston Providence Hwy., Norwood, Mass.