Edison seeks commercial customers to participate in solar energy program

[OKIsItJustMe]

http://www.examiner.com/x-40062-Detroit-Green-Technology-Examiner~y2010m3d29-Edison-seeks-commercial-customers-to-participate-in-solar-energy-program

Edison seeks commercial customers to participate in solar energy program

March 29, 3:27 PM | Detroit Green Technology Examiner | Bob Gross

Have a business with a big flat roof or lots of open and unused acreage?

Detroit Edison wants to talk to you.

The Detroit-based utility and subsidiary of DTE Energy is looking for commercial customers to participate in its http://www.dteenergy.com/solar">SolarCurrents program.

The program seeks to install photovoltaic systems on customer rooftops or property to generate 15 megawatts of electricity throughout its southeast Michigan service area during the next five years.

...

[Statistical]

1. I hate reporters who don't understand science.

"generate 15 megawatts of electricity throughout its southeast Michigan service area during the next five years."

WTF?

OK MW is a unit of power not energy (MWh) they aren't interchangeable.
"generate ...during the next 5 years"
Are they only going to operate for 5 years and tear it down & chuck it into the trash? I doubt it.
5 MW is a instantaneous measurement. To generate 15 MW for 5 years would require you to generate exactly 15 MW continually without variation every second of every hour of every day for 5 years (100% capacity factor). Or some larger amount of peak power with lower capacity factor (30MW at 50% capacity, 150MW @ 10% capacity).

Most likely what they wanted to say is "a 5 year program to install 15 MWp of solar panels"?

I know it is minor but it would be like saying
"Man my new Pius is really efficient it gets 60 miles" or "my car has insane acceleration it can go 0 to 60".

At one time media outlets had science editors to catch stuff like this but I guess not anymore.

RANT OFF

This seems like a win-win. Reuse unused roofs rather than buy/lease land for dedicated solar park. Panels are closer to source of consumption. Businesses get a credit for the space. Everyone wins.

[OKIsItJustMe]

2. Reporters supposedly understand writing

Even the "trade press" in my specialty cannot seem to get the basics straight.

When people express surprise at this, I ask them what their specialty is, and then say, "When you read things about (your specialty) in the popular media, do you find that they are inaccurate, over-simplified, misleading or simply wrong?" Almost without exception, the answer is "yes." "So," my follow-up goes, "why would you expect them to do a better job of reporting anything else?"

So, when reading an article like this, you kind of have to translate terms.