Rhode Island Solar Panels Project Targets State Parks, Beaches

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Rhode Island officials say they're installing solar panels on several state buildings' roofs to harness energy and reduce electricity costs.

The Rhode Island Office of Energy Resources says $1.5 million for the work is coming from federal stimulus funds, and that they expect the panels to be installed by late February.

They are being installed at nine state beaches, parks and other sites in Narragansett, Westerly, Charlestown, North Kingstown, Exeter, Providence and South Kingstown.

Internet users will also be able to use an online tracking tool to monitor the electricity savings from some of the panels and wind turbines.

Gov. Lincoln Chafee says the panels will have a dual benefit: helping the state save energy costs and being an educational tool for students and others interested in environmental issues.

Comments

[lilpeg]

08:52 AM on 12/13/2011

All government agencies and commercial entities should be looking at a way to go solar in some of their infrastructure. Here in the south there are loads of opportunities to do this. Our main problem is garnering consistent current for AC. My understanding is that this is being worked on. But, meanwhile other things could be run off the solar power, things that do not need consistent and smooth power. Way to go RI.

[sheila]

12:45 PM on 12/13/2011

it is fed into the grid, not used directly by appliances in the structure. there should be no problem at all with getting huge amounts of rooftop solar into the distribution grid, which is due for updating anyhow.

this is really the only power that can be democratically-owned, so WE need to push for it to be fairly compensated now! Big Energy and its buddies in Big Government are trying to prevent a real revolution, where we participate as investors in the energy economy instead of as ATMs for the people killing our planet and our economy!

a mechanism called the "feed in tariff" pays real people like you and me a fair return on investment for clean, local, peak-load power (in the 25-30 cent/kWh range). why should utilities be the only one to profit from generating energy?

[lightningbolt]

08:04 AM on 12/13/2011

This is excellent news. I'm glad the stimulus is being used for clean renewable energy projects. They save money in the long run and create new high tech jobs.

[artleads]

10:12 PM on 12/12/2011

Another piece of good news.

[Cacey]

09:04 PM on 12/12/2011

California is investing in solar like never before and will soon be selling it on the regional grid. To all those nay sayers, once again California will lead the nation.

[nirek]

05:09 PM on 12/12/2011

Good for RI, Vermont has already done lots of solar and more is on the way.
My own array makes all my power plus extra to go into the grid.

Go solar, you'll like it!

[pagansmom]

05:36 PM on 12/12/2011

Wish we could...too many massive oaks. Here in South Jersey there are new solar "farms" going all the time, though.

[nirek]

06:31 PM on 12/12/2011

There is a town in NJ that has a solar panel on every telephone pole. That is hundreds or more in that town and they are just sitting on the pole and making energy.

[Kenz300]

04:37 PM on 12/12/2011

The cost of wind and solar have dropped by over 50% in the last 5 years.

Renewable energy investment is surpassing fossil fuels in new power plants. Electricit­­­­­­­y from sun power, wind energy, wave energy and biomass had an investment of $187 billion last year compared with $157 billion for natural gas, coal and oil, according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance

[SeenItBefore]

05:01 PM on 12/12/2011

My design studio went off-grid 20 years ago. Our retirement home will derive 90% of it's power from solar/wind, and if we're lucky, we can get it up to 100%. The problem is central A/C in central Texas. Most inverters can't handle the start-up surge, but Xantrex is getting close.

[nirek]

05:10 PM on 12/12/2011

Here in Vermont my array makes 120% of my electricity. No AC though.

[Genders]

07:26 PM on 12/12/2011

fantastic. You know about these sites?

http://www.ecobusinesslinks.com/solar_panels.htm list the best prices.

And these folks usually have the cheapest, 58 cents per Wp at the moment.
http://www.sunelec.com/

[Kenz300]

04:35 PM on 12/12/2011

Wind, solar, wave energy. geothermal and second generation biofuels made from algae, cellulose and waste are the future. The world produces a lot of trash every day. That trash can now be turned into biofuel, energy (methane) and raw materials for new products.

Safe, clean alternative energy is the future.

[nirek]

05:11 PM on 12/12/2011

Right on!

[Genders]

07:28 PM on 12/12/2011

Waste can also be turned into bio diesel and carbon negative bio char for enhancing poor soils.

http://oilprice.com/Alternative-Energy/Renewable-Energy/Revolutionary-New-Process-Turns-Biomass-Waste-into-Fuel-Oil.html

http://www.plancanada.com/biochar_basics.pdf
2$ per watt bio char energy plant. 150 Gt/y waste bio mass, 100 GW electricity

http://buildaroo.com/news/article/biofuel-from-human-waste-project-england/ 15% energy needs!
http://www.biochar-international.org/

[ohohyeah]

04:22 PM on 12/12/2011

I love good news. Thanks Governor Chafee, Rhode Island, and President Obama's administration!

[prlabella]

02:34 PM on 12/12/2011

One of the best uses of stimulus funds that I have seen lately.

[katooom]

02:21 PM on 12/12/2011

CT must be flush with extra money laying around.

[katooom]

02:22 PM on 12/12/2011

oops - make that RI.

[sslaughter]

04:02 PM on 12/12/2011

What makes you think this won't make money for the state? Plus keep a couple workers employed for a bit?

[nathanoj]

04:33 PM on 12/12/2011

Coal fired power plants cause $500 billion in damage to human health every year, causing about 100,000 premature deaths annually. Fukushima will cost many trillions of dollars and many deaths before it's over. The BP Gulf Oil disaster has already caused billions upon billion in damage to gulf coast economies and 11 deaths on the Deep Water Horizon when the accident happened.

How many solar panels would those many trillions of dollars installed if we had abandoned fossil and nuclear power?

I guess that you would prefer spending money on burying people who died before their time because of fossil fuels instead of installing clean, renewable power.