Grand Prix New York has seen the light. To reduce its energy use, the indoor racing, social entertainment and corporate event venue installed 216 solar panels on its roof and replaced a portion of its lighting system with long life LED bulbs. The building's owner, Diamond Properties, paid for the solar panel project, which services Grand Prix New York's 120,000 s/f space. Installation took about a month, but dealing with the permitting process and utility interconnection issues took about half a year. The solar panel system will generate 58,360 kilowatt hours annually and shave around $10,000 from the company's electric bill over the next year. Excess electricity generated by Grand Prix New York's solar farm will be redistributed to the Con Edison grid. Grand Prix New York has also installed LED lighting as part of their effort to reduce energy usage. The LED lighting, manufactured and installed by Xeleum Lighting, has the potential to produce an annual energy cost savings of 60% to 80% from the reduced cost of electric energy and - due to cooler operating temperatures - a reduction in air conditioning usage. While savings and ROI are unique to every scenario, George Palmiero, VP of Xeleum Lighting, indicated that it's generally realized within 18 months. There are also additional cost savings from not having to replace or maintain the newly-installed LED fixtures for years at a time. "This is a win-win situation for everyone," said Nat Mundy, VP and co-founder of Grand Prix New York. "We're obviously happy to cut down our electricity costs, but this is also about being good corporate citizens. If more businesses looked at solar power, it would help reduce pollution and decrease dependence on oil." Westchester County and New York State are encouraging businesses to go green. The state Research and Development Authority awarded the Grand Prix New York solar project an $86,940 rebate. The installation also benefits from a federal investment tax credit and an accelerated depreciation schedule. The building's owner, Diamond Properties, paid for the solar panel project, which services Grand Prix New York's 120,000 s/f space. Installation took about a month, but dealing with the permitting process and utility interconnection issues took about half a year. Solar cells are made of semiconductor materials that produce a photoelectric effect when exposed to sunlight, a phenomenon that occurs when the light knocks electrons loose from their atoms. The electrons then travel along a circuit built into the solar cell, creating a current of electricity. GPNY replaced their inefficient high bay lighting units with long life 80 Watt LED high bay fixtures in a portion of the facility and installed a new full RGB chaser LED lighting system in the arcade area. GPNY will continue lighting upgrades until the entire facility is converted to LED. Grand Prix New York and Spins Bowl is located at 333 Bedford Rd. For more on Grand Prix New York and Spins Bowl, visit www.gpny.com or www.SpinsBowl.com. Grand Prix New York Racing (GPNY) is the only large indoor racing, social entertainment, and corporate event venue in the New York City-metro area. Centrally located in the village of Mount Kisco, New York, GPNY is a unique 118,000 s/f facility that offers a quarter-mile-long, state-of-the-art racetrack for all ages; Spins Bowl (a 19-lane bowling center and special events services); Fuel restaurant and bar, with award-winning catering; an arcade, carnival room, banquet facility, conference rooms, and more. GPNY is actively involved in community outreach and fundraising efforts. Since its inception in 2008, GPNY has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for local charities by hosting high-profile fundraising events.