Originally published March 26 2007
Solar energy powers water treatment plant in California
by David Gutierrez, staff writer
A municipal water treatment plant in La Mesa, Calif., near San Diego, has installed enough solar panels to generate 20 percent of the electricity that it uses. The move is part of a greater effort by local city governments to produce more energy from renewable sources.
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What you need to know - Conventional View
• With panels mounted on top of a water storage reservoir, the entire solar array cost $6.5 million.
• The system was installed and will continue to be monitored by SunEdison, the largest producer of solar power in the United States.
• Instead of charging the full cost of the solar-power installation, SunEdison will sell the electricity generated by the panels back to the city at a reduced rate.
• The system will generate 1.6 million kilowatt hours of electricity yearly, reducing the city's carbon emissions the equivalent of over 200 cars driving 12,000 miles each, city officials state.
• Neighboring San Diego has announced a plan to generate 50 megawatts worth of energy from renewable sources but 2013. One-tenth of this is slated to come from solar power.
What you need to know - Alternative View
Statements and opinions by Mike Adams, executive director of the Consumer Wellness Center
• As the need for greener energy becomes better known, more corporations are beginning to invest in solar power. Right now, many of the projects are being undertaken for public relations reasons so that companies can claim they are more "green." Even so, this is a positive trend made possible by consumers demanding increased corporate credibility when it comes to respecting the environment. In other words, companies are responding to the demands of consumers by pursuing cleaner energy projects.
Bottom line
• A water treatment plant near San Diego will now be generating 20 percent of the electricity it uses from solar power.
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