Merced County, California Solar Panels To Power Local Jails

From EarthTechling's Lauren Craig:

As California deals with overcrowding in its state prison system by transferring low-level offenders to county correctional facilities, one municipality has found a way to cut costs without cutting services while also helping the state meet its renewable energy goals. Merced County has recently announced that it has commissioned a 1.4-megawatt (MW) photovoltaic (PV) array to power the county's correctional facilities in El Nido, Calif.

The system, developed and installed by Siemens, will generate enough electricity to meet approximately 70 percent of the facilities' peak electricity consumption, and offset its entire annual consumption.

The system consists of two triangular-shaped arrays, for a total of 6,272 solar panels ground-mounted on 4.5 acres next to the John Latorraca Correctional Facility and the Iris Garrett Juvenile Justice Correctional Complex. Siemens also upgraded the complex's lighting systems to make the facility more energy-efficient and improve the economics of the entire project. Money saved by the project will be deposited in a fund used to support other capital improvements, including planned energy efficiency upgrades at all county facilities.

According to project planners, the county will benefit from nearly $1.6 million over five years in solar incentive payments, and save nearly $14 million in electricity costs over 25 years. Merced County and Siemens partnered with local businesses to complete the project, including Collins Electric, Suntrek, Phase One Construction and Volvo Rents.

Overall, the project planners have estimated that the project will result in a total positive cash flow to Merced County of nearly $9 million over 25 years.

"We are thrilled to be turning on a new era of sustainability for Merced County citizens. I think all will agree we have made a solid investment that will yield tremendous fiscal and environmental benefits to the county and its citizens for decades to come," said Board of Supervisors Chairman John Pedrozo. "The economics of the system could not be better."

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Comments

[Kenz300]

04:42 PM on 02/13/2012

Go Solar ! The price of solar has dropped by 50% in the last 5 years. I suspect it will continue to fall in price in the future. Remember when PC's and LED TV's first came out and were very expensive. The prices dropped every year and now they are economically priced commodities.

Advances in technology and rising economies of scale as more people around the world use them will drive the price down.

[2BOrNot2B]

08:56 PM on 01/11/2012

When are US entrepreneurs going to get on board with new technology in a big way? Come on, People. Get it done. The US needs you. Why give all these opportunities to German, Dutch, Spanish companies? BUILD IT HERE!

[grappler1987]

01:44 AM on 01/31/2012

In Germany, consumers pay for the solar technology. That is, the panels are highly subsidized and consumers pay for those subsidies through their large electric bill. No thanks.

[l monroe]

01:36 PM on 01/31/2012

Try getting your lunch ate by the Chinese communist government's dumping policies. They are subsidizing the pv cells until they are being sold in the US at dead shipping cost.

[Dick Stone]

03:06 AM on 01/11/2012

In my state inmates make license plates. Having inmates build or assemble solar panels, should be an obvious positive step. The inmates could actually do something constructive to help the environment, the economy and would learn a trade that could be utilized after their release. That would be a win win.

[Robert Fanney]

02:21 PM on 01/08/2012

They should do this for all public facilities, starting with schools. Huge benefits.

[peeowedaboutit2]

08:32 PM on 01/05/2012

Wow! That's Great! Now, if they will just take it a step further and teach the inmates how to fabricate, assemble and install the panels, they can hit a Trifecta!
1. Immediate Energy and Money Savings! Cha-Ching!
2. Teach people that are going back into the mainstream a trade. Cha-Ching Ching!
3. Give these people jobs when they get out, having them put their new skills to work installing these 'Low Cost' systems in other State Government Facilities, thereby compounding the Energy and Money savings exponentially! Cha-Ching Ching Ching!!!
The State would Benefit
The Inmates would Benefit
The (Our) Environment Would Benefit! Perfectly played Trifecta!

[Robert Fanney]

02:22 PM on 01/08/2012

You show good heart and darn good thinkum.

[peeowedaboutit2]

03:46 PM on 01/08/2012

Haha! Thanks! "darn good thinkum". I like it!

[fireofenergy]

02:37 PM on 01/02/2012

Just close the correctional system (almost) altogether... And use that money to create advance machine automation needed to make solar energy a REAL contender. There is NO reason (in this day of robotic assembly lines) that ALL the parts (including batteries) are not pennies on the dollar!

Millions of install jobs = less crime, yep this IS the solution!

[Karelh]

06:41 PM on 12/31/2011

It would be nice to know if they used American made panels? We have too many people out of work to not be using state money on domestically produced products.

[fireofenergy]

02:41 PM on 01/02/2012

It doesn't matter where the panels are made... because they are all (should be) made in robotic factories. The real jobs would be in installs. Instead, put tariffs only on NON money making things like TV's.

[Karelh]

09:21 AM on 01/03/2012

I would argue it does matter where the factory is. I'm all for automated workplaces, but there is no such thing as a 100 robotic factory. But each manufacturing site is the center of it's own hub network. The ripple effect of supporting jobs that it supports, from contractors that work to support the facility to suppliers that then supply products to the site, etc. And these are typically higher paying jobs than your typical installer/construction type. And these are the type of jobs we need to rebuild to a world class economy. And if we don't, we'll just continue to pay people unemployment and welfare, etc.

[trailerguy]

02:27 PM on 12/31/2011

solar electric chair?

[guthrum]

09:14 AM on 12/31/2011

One energy breakthrough is the amazing Johnson motor/generator. It is clean, safe, and generates more energy than it uses. It uses permanent magnets to do this. Many people are now using these to save 50-75% on residential electricity bills. There is a prototype being developed that will be tried in cars. Check it out on You Tube.

[chrissyecycle]

01:58 PM on 12/30/2011

E-Cycle Environmental is very proud of Merced County for implementing a green initiative into their county jails. We hope that other countys in California and the nation see how cost effective putting solar panels on buildings can be and eventually roll out plans to do so themselves.

www.ecycleenvironmental.com

[veryradiant]

07:10 PM on 12/29/2011

I remember when strip mining opponents complained about how those mines ruined the pristine beauty of nature. Then opponents used the same arguments to block an Alaskan pipeline. Solar arrays and wind turbines are also a terrible eye sore. I drove on I70 through Kansas this Christmas and had my senses shook by miles of monstrous wind turbines along the interstate. Has anyone considered the natural consequences of the large scale adoption of these technologies? The thought of seeing solar arrays and turbines everywhere kind of sickens me.

[jman7]

08:19 PM on 12/29/2011

well they are actually trying to fix that issue. Science is progressing solar powered paint and solar powered windows among other things. These will help lessen a need for these mechanical monstrosities. But as of now I agree this is an unfortunate aesthetic consequence. Quite frankly we need it, The oil is running out. All over the world. Natural Gas can take its place but will come at the cost of destroying many of our waters.

[Kenz300]

04:46 PM on 02/13/2012

Can you imagine the benefits if those huge glass windows on all these big skyscrapers were actually solar panels? That building would generate all the power it needs. THat is the future.

DOW is also working on solar shingles to replace your normal roofing shingles.

Once solar is incorporated into normal building products it will really take off.

[dumocraps]

02:30 PM on 12/29/2011

Equip Tread Mills with small generators and require all inmates to walk/run on them for 3hrs a day.

[poppyCa]

02:28 PM on 12/30/2011

I was going to suggest the same thing, after all a tired inmate will not cause trouble, cracking rocks was done for more than just a supply of gravel.

[AJH]

01:51 PM on 12/29/2011

When a relatively conservative swing county is doing projects like this, it's a very good thing.

[Kenz300]

10:34 AM on 12/29/2011

It is time to transition to safe, clean alternative energy.

The cost of coal, oil and nuclear keep rising while the price of wind and solar are dropping.

Wind, solar, wave energy, geothermal and second generation biofuels made from waste, cellulose and algae are the future.

[mellaguy]

05:53 PM on 12/30/2011

Well said and so very true.

[niumarmion]

09:49 AM on 12/29/2011

Perhaps we could compete with the Chinese if we use the slave labor in the prisons to build solar panels. This would be a boost to the for-profit prison industry.