Solar panels instead of supersonic jets
Los Angeles City officials recently announced that land reserved for a new airport was going to be put to use for a 100-megawatt (MW) solar array project instead. In other words, we’ll see solar panels instead of supersonic jets.
Could it be the economy, or just the demand for more renewable energy? Probably both!
The plan would be to use approximately 4,000 acres of a 17,700 acre site in Palmdale, which is near east L.A. A solar array of this size could make a significant dent in the City’s reliance on dirty coal power. Equally important, the project would create about 8,000 new jobs – music to anyone’s ear with the recession in full swing.
The L.A. Times described the backdrop for the decision, as follows:
“The 17,750 acre Palmdale property was originally bought in the 1970s for an airport that could accommodate 100 million passengers per year and house supersonic jets. Now the supersonic planes are out of service, the airlines are going bankrupt, and travel is down.”
Before a formal proposal can be submitted, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) must make a determination as to whether the land must be reserved for aviation purposes. But the area has a proven track record of stellar solar power results. Panels installed on other businesses in the area provide 80% of energy needs.
And in case you were wondering how many people 100 megawatts could service, consider that the average household uses 1 kilowatt (kW) of energy per day. One megawatt is equivalent to 1000 kW. So, the L.A. solar panel project could replace fossil fuel energy sources for 100,000 homes!
For people living nearby, solar panels instead of supersonic jets should be a welcome trade. The roar of airplanes taking off and landing could be replaced with the quiet buzz of clean, green electricity for the residents of L.A.
Tags: los angeles solar panel project, palmdale airport property, solar panels instead of supersonic jets
March 11th, 2009 at 5:28 pm
Saving is really important nowadyas, we have to earn more inorder to live graciously. It is indeed amazing that we can make use of the sun’s heat. To have energy for our homes and appliances and of course, to save!