World's largest solar project prompts environmental debate

[OKIsItJustMe]

http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_14050919?nclick_check=1

World's largest solar project prompts environmental debate

By Paul Rogers

[e-mail]
Posted: 12/22/2009 07:00:00 PM PST
Updated: 12/23/2009 05:03:10 AM PST

…

But now the remote valley 25 miles south of Hollister is finding itself at the center of a new showdown. A Silicon Valley company is proposing to build here what would be the world's largest solar farm — 1.2 million solar panels spread across an area roughly the size of 3,500 football fields.

"This is renewable energy. It doesn't cause pollution, it doesn't use coal or foreign oil, and it emits no greenhouse gases," said Mike Peterson, CEO of Solargen Energy, the Cupertino company behind the $1.8 billion project.

But critics — including some environmentalists — say green energy isn't always green. In a refrain being heard increasingly across California, they contend the plan to cover this ranch land with a huge solar project would harm a unique landscape and its wildlife.

…

It sits 20 miles from the nearest town. It has 90 percent of the solar intensity of the Mojave Desert. Five willing sellers, mostly longtime ranching families, have signed options to sell his company 18,000 acres. And huge transmission lines run through the site, negating the need to build the kind of costly and controversial new power lines that have stalled similar projects.

…

[WriteDown]

1. So scratch solar off the list....

What's left again?

[FreakinDJ]

2. Mandate "Flat Roof Commercial Building" install Solar Cells

California by signing Tittle 24 into law in the mid 90s legally mandated commercial properties to incorporate energy saving measures into their design and construction.

We need legislation again to mandate they begin installing Solar Cells and the vast acers of "Flat Unused Roof Tops". Vitually every building you see that looks like this has a roof 90% unused

[WriteDown]

3. Prediction...

Demand for non-flat roof commercial real estate sky-rockets.

[FreakinDJ]

4. Cost of Flat Top vs: Pitched Roof outweight cost of solar cells

The Flat Top roofs are slightly pitched for drainage but are still considered "flat". They are associated with "Tilt Up" construction techniques which is the cheapest commercial construction techniques for buildings 10,000 square ft and up. Being they do not require much in the way of steel framing they rarely go over 3 stories.

The pitched roof over a foot print the size of the Tilt Up Constructed buildings (some as large as 1,000,000 sq ft) would generate cost exceeding the rest of the building.

It would be cheaper just to put the solar cells on them

[kristopher]

6. I don't understand your post.

I'd like to know more, so could I trouble you to go into a bit more detail?

I'm not sure why you are discussing flat vs pitched roofs and how that relates to solar.

[OKIsItJustMe]

8. All square feet are not created equal

Some locations yield more KWh/m²/day than others.


So, if instead of installing a panel at this location, you decide to install it on a flat roof in San Francisco, it will need to be a bigger panel.

[GreenGreenLimaBean]

5. we're doomed....

Audubon Society just lost my support and money...if we can't build PV plants on private ranch land with existing high voltage power, then it's game over.

[Kablooie]

7. I looked at the spot on Google earth. It looks perfect for this.

A huge, empty isolated flat desert completely surrounded by mountains.
Hardly any development there.

Though there is the Panoche Inn.