Part Three in a Three-Part Series
As the world grows, more people and more infrastructure require more electrical power. Traditional thinking says that in order to efficiently supply electricity for more areas, consuming fossil fuels in power plants will be necessary. Such thinking does not consider the long game — and we’re not merely talking about the limited supply of fossil fuels.
Planning and Building a Power Plant
Once the decision is made to build a power plant, it takes time to design it and then get legal and geographical issues resolved, before actually building it. For a coal power plant, it takes about five years from breaking ground to producing electricity. A nuclear power plant takes about six years. That’s a long time to wait for a stable source of electricity. In comparison, it takes about two years to build a natural gas power plant, a significant reduction in time. How do photovoltaic power plants compare?
The Solar Star power plant created by SunPower in California was up and running in just over two years, providing enough electricity to power over 250 thousand homes! SunPower reduces installation time by creating pre-built wire harnesses and other structural components, making the assembly quick and simple. They also use drone technology to precisely map out the land for the most efficient placement of all panels. Applying these planning and construction technologies, SunPower even built a solar power plant in Covington, Oklahoma in only one year!
Solar Power is Local, Very Local
With many power sources, a plant is required to be in the vicinity of the source. In other words, wind power needs to be where the wind is, and the same for geothermal power plants. Although a coal power plant can be built anywhere, it’s cost effective to place it near sources of coal. Nuclear power plants have significant safety concerns, limiting where they can reside.
The sun, however, is everywhere! True, certain states get far more sunlight throughout the year, such as California. Solar power plants are also commonly built in open flatlands, but they aren’t limited to such areas. For instance, a business or industrial park may have acres of rooftops, every one capable of featuring a vast array of solar panels. The modular nature of solar panel arrays also make them adapatable, movable, and easily replaced — not so for steam or hydroelecteric turbines, or wind props.
Of course, one of the greatest benefits to solar power is that you can have your own very power plant, right on top of your own home. Solaron can help you design a photovoltaic system with enough power to keep you off the grid, if you’d like! Finally, any electricity generated that you do not use gets put into California’s electrical grid for someone else, and you’ll get a credit on your electric bill for your generosity!
Let Solar Power Benefit You
Getting the facts on the right solar system for your home is vitally important. Thankfully, Solaron does all that work for you. We analyze your home, your electrical needs, and the configurations that best meet your needs. We also sift through all the financial options and programs, matching the ones that provide you with the most for your investment.
When you’re ready to find out what solar options are the best match for you and your home, give Solaron a call at 408-292-4328 in the Bay Area, and 916-631-9293 in Sacramento. You can also use our online form to schedule a free solar analysis, or to merely ask more questions. Let us show you how solar compares and why solar is better!