light the way

Houston company nears completion of innovative solar-powered street lights project

The lighting project is part of a 15-year initiative aimed at boosting Calhoun County’s commitment to solar and other forms of renewable energy. Photo via EnGoPlanet

Houston-based EnGoPlanet is nearing completion of what it touts as the largest installation of solar-powered street lights in the U.S.

The project, which relies on EnGoPlanet’s ENGO Utility program, is in Calhoun County. It features 300 solar-powered, motion-activated street lights and 20 camera-equipped power poles at several Calhoun County parks. Port Lavaca, close to 130 miles southwest of Houston, is the county seat of Calhoun County.

Calhoun County Commissioner David Hall calls the project “a game-changer for innovation in the sustainable energy space.”

The solar-powered street lights were made according to DarkSky guidelines designed to reduce nighttime light pollution.

The lighting project is part of a 15-year initiative aimed at boosting Calhoun County’s commitment to solar and other forms of renewable energy.

“Our work in Calhoun County is a prime example of how collaboration and innovative thinking can create not just economic value, but also profound social and environmental impact. Municipalities and counties should explore many available grants through the Inflation Reduction Act to help fund renewable energy initiatives for their communities,” Petar Mirovic, CEO of EnGoPlanet, says in a news release.

Calhoun County is just one of several places where EnGoPlanet, founded in 2019, has installed solar-powered street lights. Others include Houston, Dallas, Montenegro, Qatar, and Serbia.

Trending News

A View From HETI

Shell's Woodcreek campus is home to about 67,000 workers. Photo courtesy HOK

Energy giant Shell has put its U.S. headquarters in Houston’s Energy Corridor on the market and is exploring the sale of its U.S. chemical business.

Green Street News reported Shell just listed its longtime Energy Corridor campus at 150 N. Dairy Ashford Road. The asking price is $325 million, The Real Deal reported. Shell plans to lease back half of the nearly 1.5 million-square-foot Woodcreek campus for 15 years.

A sale-leaseback deal could transform the 43.6-acre campus into a multitenant hub, CoStar News reported.

“Houston is a critical hub for Shell globally and the headquarters of our U.S. businesses,” a Shell spokesperson told the Houston Business Journal. “We remain committed to Houston and are evaluating opportunities to optimize our Woodcreek campus as part of our ongoing review of workplace needs while maintaining a strong presence in the city.”

Shell occupied its first building at the West Houston campus in 1980. The company employs more than 6,000 people in Texas.

Shell is one of the highest-profile businesses occupying space in the Energy Corridor. It’s home to 67,000 workers, more than 27 million square feet of office and mixed-use space, and 3.8 million square feet of retail and restaurant space.

Shell considers $8B sale of chemical business

As the company seeks to unload its Woodcreek campus, The Financial Times reported Shell is looking into selling its U.S. chemical business. The price tag: $8 billion.

Potential buyers include Spring-based ExxonMobil and Houston-based LyondellBasell.

Shell operates four chemical plants in Texas, Louisiana and Pennsylvania, producing an array of chemicals for use in plastics, detergents and pharmaceuticals.

Shell CEO Wael Sawan said last year that the company had spent $45 billion in capital “that is underperforming for us,” split between its chemical business and renewable energy arm.

Shell also agreed to sell its solar and wind power business in India this summer. Read more here.

Trending News