Electricity from solar panels is being woven into the fabric of sustainability out here on the rooftop of America. Here's an article, about a new proposed solar farm in the San Luis valley from the Pueblo Chieftain. They write, "Xcel announced Monday that it has selected an affiliate of SunEdison, LLC, North America's leading solar energy service provider, to build, own and operate the 8-megawatt central solar power plant about 2 miles northwest of this small unincorporated community lying along Colorado 17, about 13 miles north of Alamosa...
"The plant will be capable of powering more than 2,600 homes along the Front Range and other parts of Colorado...
"The power plant will house two solar technologies: concentrating photovoltaic and advanced flat-plate solar panel units. Both the flat-plate solar panel segment of the plant and the concentrating solar segment will be the largest of their type in the United States. About 1.2 megawatts will come from concentrating photovoltaic units. The remaining estimated 6.8 megawatts of generation will be advanced flat-plate solar panel units. The plant is expected to be on line by the end of 2007. Henley said construction is expected to begin within 90 days. Public Service Co. of Colorado will purchase the power and the Renewable Energy Credits associated with the plant...
"Concentrating photovoltaic units squeeze sunlight into a beam of light 500 times greater than normal light. That beam is then focused on a photovoltaic cell that converts the highly concentrated light into electricity more efficiently than non-concentrated cells. The solar electricity is converted from direct current to alternating current then sent to a power substation and fed into the power grid...
"Generating electricity from solar power will allow Xcel Energy to provide energy in an environmentally friendly way. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, by using just 2 kilowatts of photovoltaic capacity, a person can reduce carbon dioxide emissions equal to driving 6,200 miles in a car."
Category: 2008 Presidential Election
5:44:21 AM
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