Cincinnati Zoo installs solar panels

CINCINNATI, Ohio (AP) - Workers have finished installing an $11 million canopy of solar panels to help power the Cincinnati Zoo.

The Cincinnati Enquirer reports nearly 4 acres of solar panels cover a parking area, and the system is expected to be turned on by mid-April.

The collection of 6,400 panels is designed to produce about one-fifth of the energy the park needs and help control its annual $700,000 electric bill.

The zoo says it's one of the country's largest urban solar arrays accessible to the public. A dozen zoos have called to learn more about the project, and developers hope it will generate interest in using clean energy in big public spaces.

The newspaper says PNC Bank is financing the project for a developer in the area with help from federal tax credits.