Southern California Edison to install 65 million square feet of solar cells on rooftops

March 28, 2008

65 Million Square Feet of Solar Cells
Photo: Damian Dovarganes, Associated Press

Now this is a good idea. There is a huge number of roofs that are absorbing the suns energy everyday and this area is going to waste. Why not utilise this area to capture energy in the form of solar cells.

An extra 500 megawatts of renewable electricity

California’s Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has just announced 2 big solar projects for Southern California.

US Power Utility Southern California Edison has just announced plans to cover business rooftops in Southern California with 65 Million Square feet of Solar Photovoltaic cells, which will provide a total of 250 megawatts of electricity generation.

The plan also coincides with another 250 megawatts of solar thermal power that is to be installed and run by Florida Power and Gas (FPL) in the Mojave Desert.

The total of 500 megawatts is a significant number and is enough to provide electricity for more than 300,000 homes.

These two projects will help to ensure that California can meet it’s goal of 20% of electricity from renewable sources by 2010.

Solar on many roofs

The Edison project will put photovoltaic solar cells on 65 million square feet of commercial building roofs in Southern California. These cells will produce as much as 250 megawatts of electricity and provide power for about 162,500 based on estimates.

POST CONTINUES see more on this story

“These are the kinds of big ideas we need to meet California’s long-term energy and climate change goals,” Schwarzenegger said in a statement. “If commercial buildings statewide partnered with utilities to put this solar technology on their rooftops, it would set off a huge wave of renewable-energy growth.”

The rooftop project is estimated at a cost of $875 Million and will take approximately 5 years to complete.

250 megawatts of Solar Thermal in the Mojave Desert

Florida Power and Light’s proposed 250 megawatt solar thermal installation will be situated on around 2000 acres at Eastern Kern County.

The installation will contain more than half a Million parabolic mirrors which concentrate the suns energy to produce steam and run turbines. The installation will generate 250 megawatts which will be connected to the states power grid.

Construction of the solar thermal project will begin in late 2009 and take 2 years to complete.

See more on the story from the LA Times at the link below.

Website: 2 big solar projects for Southern California



Written by Craig · Filed Under Building, Energy, Political 

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