Immediate Release
July 13, 2009
Batavia, Ohio. The Ohio State Highway Patrol (OSHP) is among the first law enforcement agencies in the country to use “green technology” to boost vehicle performance and conserve fuel. At the Batavia Post of the OSHP, 17 cruisers have been outfitted with five-watt solar panels in their rear windows. “While it’s too early to tell just how much we will save by equipping the entire OSHP fleet of 1,150 Ford Crown Victoria cruisers with the panels, the savings is expected to be considerable,” said OSHP Batavia Commander Lt. Randy McElfresh. “The panels will extend the life of the car battery by allowing troopers to operate their radio systems while their engines are off; this is not only a cost savings feature it is a safety feature. Our troopers will not have a dead battery when they are called into service.”
The panels cost less than $37 dollars each and are expected to last five years. “We’re using recycled and misprinted license plates to make brackets for the panels,” said Lt. McElfresh. It took less than 10 minutes for OSHP technicians Brian Shepherd and Jeff Taylor to outfit one of the cars at the Batavia post with the panels.
“You’ll notice that when many of our troopers are monitoring traffic, they are doing so, with their engines turned off,” said Lt. McElfresh. “Last year the OSHP saved roughly $1 million in fuel costs by switching to the stationary patrols.”
Pictured above: OSHP technician Jeff Taylor installs a solar panel in the rear window of a cruiser at the OSHP Batavia post. #
For additional information about this or other county news, contact Clermont County Communications Director Kathryn Lehr at (513) 732-7597 or by e-mail, klehr@co.clermont.oh.us.