The solar carport now located behind the Patchogue Theatre for the Performing Arts, on Oak Street in Patchogue Village, is officially completed, providing shelter and shade for parked vehicles, lighting at night, and soon enough, power to the grid. The village is currently waiting for the PSEG hookup to start generating power but is ready to go, said BID executive director Dennis Smith, who helped forefront the project.

The Johnson Controls dollar-neutral energy savings project featured a total of 14 energy conservation measures, beginning with work at the Patchogue Theatre for the Performing Arts and ending with the solar carport.

The goals of the project, Christopher Fitzsimmons, Johnson Controls account executive, said during the approval of the project last year, are to overall improve the safety, security and comfort of environments; reduce utility and operational costs; address deferred maintenance costs; leverage utility incentives and rebates; modernize systems; and define and support renewable energy.

The solar carport, which broke ground earlier in March, is similar to the one installed in Lindenhurst as part of a Johnson Controls project. Patchogue’s carport is located in the two eastern-most parking spot areas to the rear of the theatre. The project is expected to generate about 250,000 kilowatts per year, which will be sold back to the grid for about $32,000, supporting roughly 40 homes.

“It’s exciting; we are going to start saving money and it’s a good thing,” Smith said, also happy with the progress of the project.

He also said four electric vehicle charging stations will be installed at the location utilizing energy directly from the carport.