In Oak Park, Illinois, landscapers maintain the public parks using electric string trimmers, leaf blowers, pruning saws, and an electric mower. That equipment gets charged by the power of the sun.
Electric lawn care equipment is better for the climate than equipment that runs on gas because it does not emit carbon pollution.
And Chris Lindgren, deputy director of properties and planning for the park district, says his staff members are happy using the clean, quiet tools.
Lindgren: “It really has helped their quality of life when they go home to their families and don’t have to, you know, have their hands shaking from holding on to a mower all day that’s vibrating or smell like fuel.”
But the batteries that power the equipment do not last all day. And going back to the shop to recharge in the middle of a workday would use a lot of time.
So the park district added solar panels to the roof of its equipment trailer. The energy they generate is stored in a large battery, which is then used to charge the electric equipment throughout the day.
Lindgren: “They’re plugged in when they’re driving through town, and then they have fully charged batteries quickly at their disposal, which saves a lot of time.”
So clean, renewable energy is helping Oak Park’s landscapers get their jobs done.
Reporting credit: Sarah Kennedy / ChavoBart Digital Media
Only 28% of U.S. residents regularly hear about climate change in the media, but 77% want to know more. Help us bring climate news to more people.
Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license.
