Made in the Shade: staying cool in Tucson and saving energy too

Tucson/Lazydays KOA is known to many as a desert oasis—the RV Park features beautiful fruit trees abundant throughout the campground. Making it easy for RVers, the beautifully equipped campground offers pull thru sites with full 30/50-amp hookups or you can upgrade to a grassy luxury site.

Whether you fancy relaxing by one of the two pools, soaking in the spacious hot tubs or joining in the many fun activities—this KOA has something for everyone to enjoy.

However, it is a new eco-friendly innovation that is turning heads at the RV Park.  This new innovation was recently completed and it features the installation of two PowerParasols® solar shade structures which allows guests to camp, gather and even barbeque under a patented structure that produces clean solar energy.

“We were looking at a standard solar power setup to help offset some of our energy costs on the campground,” said KOA President Pat Hittmeier. “When the idea of a solar PowerParasol came up, where we could integrate it in line with our campsites, save the real estate and keep it in a camping environment, it was a real win-win situation. It adds a signature architectural piece to the campground.”

This sun-friendly structure shades more than two acres of the campground, allowing visitors room to park RVs on 30 covered RV sites. You have to see it to believe but this patented design creates dappled light, allowing plants and the campgrounds famous fruit trees to thrive while the height and unique design preserve views of the mountains and desert landscape and creates an open, airy space.

With 3,500 solar panels, the campground’s two PowerParasol structures can generate a megawatt of DC power. In fact in the first year, the panels will produce an estimated 1.75 million kilowatt hours of energy, enough to power more than 150 homes. Keeping cool and saving energy.

Need that nagging problem on your RV fixed? Lazydays is a full-service RV dealership with a service department, which is located next door. The KOA campground amenities include a bar and grill, an event center and meeting rooms, fitness center, off-leash dog park and complimentary Wi-Fi.

As so many RVers say camping in Arizona is a breeze at the Tucson/Lazydays KOA – or you might now say camping there is, “Made in the shade.”