SOLAR OPTION PROBED.Byline: Charles F. Bostwick Staff Writer PALMDALE - Palmdale Water District officials are considering turning to solar energy solar energy, any form of energy radiated by the sun, including light, radio waves, and X rays, although the term usually refers to the visible light of the sun. to help lessen less·en v. less·ened, less·en·ing, less·ens v.tr. 1. To make less; reduce. 2. Archaic To make little of; belittle. v.intr. To become less; decrease. district electricity bills. A 30,000-watt array of photovoltaic The generation of voltage by a material that is exposed to light in the visible and invisible ranges. See photoelectric and photovoltaic cell. panels, built in or near the district's maintenance shop, could supply power during daytime Daytime may refer to:
hours, when electricity prices are high, and feed into the Southern California Edison Southern California Edison (or SCE Corp), the largest subsidiary of Edison International (NYSE: EIX), is the primary electricity supply company for much of Southern California. It provides 11 million people with electricity. grid. ``It adds a credit against your bill,'' the district's general manager, Dennis LaMoreaux, said. Photovoltaic cells A semiconductor diode that converts light into DC voltage. Also known as "solar cells," photovoltaic cells are used in a myriad of applications from simple light sensors to complete energy creation systems. See photovoltaic. create electricity directly from sunlight. They contain substances - commonly silicon - that when struck by sunlight give off electrons, creating an electric current. Tiny versions are used in solar-powered calculators. While there is no fuel cost and the panels last 25 or 30 years, the Years, The the seven decades of Eleanor Pargiter’s life. [Br. Lit.: Benét, 1109] See : Time construction cost is high compared with the price of conventional generators, such as those powered by natural gas. Basing their estimates on a conservative forecast of future electricity price hikes, district officials estimate it would 19 or 20 years of savings on power bills to recover costs of the panels if the water board eventually decides to have them built, LaMoreaux said. ``It is almost a demonstration project,'' LaMoreaux said. The array of panels would cost about $240,000, but state aid for alternative power sources would supply about $135,000 of that, LaMoreaux said. If the installation is completed by Dec. 31, the district will qualify for a program in which the solar power would be credited against Edison bills. The water board has asked the district's power consultant to seek bid prices from companies interested in installing the array. The board is expected to make a decision in September on whether to move forward. The solar panels would cover about 3,000 square feet - or a little less than half the size of a typical Palmdale home lot. It would be placed close to the district office on Avenue Q near 20th Street East, either atop a maintenance shop building or on nearby district property. Installing solar panels atop a roof would require reinforcing the roof, LaMoreaux noted. In a January report the consultants, Kansas-based Black and Veatch Corp., suggested installing photovoltaic arrays A photovoltaic array is a linked collection of photovoltaic modules, which are in turn made of multiple interconnected solar cells. The cells convert solar energy into direct current electricity via the photovoltaic effect. atop water tanks. But water district officials focused on installing the array at or near the maintenance shop. |
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