"Furthering his commitment to reduce California’s greenhouse gas emissions, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger announced Tuesday that the state partnered with SunEdison to provide affordable solar power at 15 California State University campuses and the CSU executive office. This public-private partnership aims to protect the environment by providing a zero-emission 8-megawatt solar photovoltaic power system to the campuses, according to a news release. “California is going green and we are doing it first and we are doing it fast,” Schwarzenegger stated. New SunEdison solar panels will be installed on rooftops, atop parking canopies and in ground-mounted arrays at the Vallejo, Bakersfield, Channel Islands, Chico, Fullerton, Humboldt, Los Angeles, Monterey Bay, Pomona (Cal Poly), Sacramento, San Bernardino, San Francisco, San Marcos and Stanislaus campuses, and the CSU Office of the Chancellor in Long Beach. In addition to the 8 MW of solar power generation, further development is under way by DGS and other state departments, including the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation and the Department of Mental Health, to generate approximately 7 MW of solar power at five state prison sites and three state mental hospitals. HSU named one of 15 in partnership to power CSU campuses with solar energy | The Eureka Reporter Cal State Northridge already has a few carport solar panels: Image Source: Shell Solar Panels and Systems in Action in Los Angeles
Smashing news. Parking lots are so ripe for this sort of thing. Once the price of solar is down in the $0.05-0.10/kWh range I think we're gonna see these things springing up all over the place, esp in the west and sou' east.
Wonderful idea, but is this the same guy that is asking the Federal Government for money because California ran out?
Arnold isn't all bad. I think they should create a program where businesses can get tax breaks by installing solar panels on flat roof buildings. My former workplace was ideal for this as are a lot of commercial buildings in our area. Other states in the southwestern US should consider this also.
I kinda like Arnold. He's a classic conservative from what I can tell and we need more of those and fewer neo-cons. Well, footy calls. Gud neet lads!
Great idea. It'll keep the parked cars relatively cool. As a taxpayer, I'd be willing to subsidize all uncovered parking lots to do this.
You won't have to much longer. In a decade solar will probably be on par with most other forms of energy production. At that point it will absolutely explode onto the scene.
That would be Awesome!!! I like Arnold too. It's a shame how the media publishes negatives before they publish positives. Arnold walked into a difficult situation to start with, and he has done a good job. It's a shame that people can't see that although things are still bad, they're no where near as worse as they used to be. UV light DAMAGES everything. I can tell you this both from professional (I'm a chemist) and from everyday life (clothes, car, house, patio furniture, anything that is in the sun) that UV rays break down plastics and fade paints VERY quickly these days. I recently spent two weeks in Chicago and the suburbs around it, and I couldn't believe how all the houses and everything outdoors looked like new! I was visiting family and I would look at a house and think it had been built five years ago, and they said, no, that's been there for 30 years, and they had photos of them when they were younger next to the houses to prove it. It's absolutely incredible the difference between there and the Southwest, where we get sunlight almost every day of the year. Currently, here in Orange County, CA, I pay to park my car in a garage instead of out in the open parking lot. I pay $20/month for the parking garage, but my car looks like new. A friend of mine bought his Civic at the same time that I bought my Corolla, and when I look at his headlights, the plastic is yellow. Yep. That's what the UV light does to your car.
Yup.... and it does a big number on your dash. I hardens it so bad it cracks. Dashmats are a big thing here.
Hey, I took my masters classes (when I had to actually attend) at Fullerton. The SJSU school of Library Science is headquartered there. Now, all they have to do is make them into charging stations. And then sell either a plug-in or EV Prius.
I just took my dad to a Dr. Appointment this afternoon, and they were installing Solar Panels over the parking areas on the south facing buildings in the medical complex. Pretty smart installation because they will shade the south side of the buildings as well as provide covered parking for the customers.
