AUG 08

Yosemite National Park is known for El Capitan and the breathtaking views captured by Ansel Adams, but visitors may soon remember another sight from their trip.  Yosemite has installed the largest solar power array of all the national parks with a 672 kW system that will provide 12 percent of the park's power needs.

Installed by Suntrek, the system consists of a 500 kW solar canopy over a parking lot, a 100 kW rooftop array on a warehouse and a 72 kW wall mounted array, all located within the park's maintenance and administrative complex.  The whole system is made up of 2,800 solar PV panels.

The $4.5 million installation will save the park $50,000 a year on energy costs and the park also expects to receive $700,000 in energy rebates from PG&E over the next five years.

This is something I'd love to see more of.  While no one wants to see our national parks overrun with solar arrays, it is very fitting to install them at administrative or visitor centers where electricity is used.  National parks exist to conserve and protect the most amazing parts of our land, so renewable energy seems to be ideal for providing their electricity.

Head over to SolarWorld's website, the maker of the panels, to see some cool photos of the project.

via Treehugger

Comments (12)

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written by Dude, August 09, 2011

Doesn't seem like the savings really line up with the cost... in the slightest. And you can't count rebates... 'cause that's not really related to the energy generated is it?

Even if you did take out the 700k from the cost it would take 76 years to make back that cost on installation.

Seems like another way to get in a little more debt. I know it doesn't work like this, but they should just take the money and use it for tax credits for home owners who want to install panels if they just have to spend it.

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Insanity
written by Dave, August 09, 2011

But... but... GEOTHERMAL!

Why?! Dear FSM why!?

Why would you install solar panels on top of the largest volcano in the world?

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Deputy editor
written by Seth Masia, August 09, 2011

The numbers don't make sense. At today's prices this array should have cost less than $3.5 million, and should save about $150,000 annually in electricity purchases (unless the Park is already getting a sweetheart deal on electricity).

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I smell BS
written by Steve, August 09, 2011

Greenwashing has become the cure to global warming, we can't expect anything else from the US these days.

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written by David Randolpe, August 10, 2011

What a joke. 90 years to get payback. Yet another overrated green project that does little except waste taxpayer money.

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Wondering the same as Seth
written by Jon, August 10, 2011

$4.5 million dollar cost? Save $50,000 a year? That would mean it will take 90 years to pay for itself?

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written by net97surferQ, August 11, 2011

My first thought was also... why didn't they go for geo-thermal power -- which is right under their feet? The outlay in cost will take forever to recoup and the system will be trashed long before they 'break even'.

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Re: But... but... GEOTHERMAL!
written by WEb, August 11, 2011

There's some confusion between Yosemite National Park and Yellowstone National Park. Lots of granite formations, but no active volcanoes at Yosemite... :-)

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written by net97surferQ, August 13, 2011

Actually not. Yosemite once sat on a marginal tectonic plate 'split'. And surrounding volcanoes also contributed to lave flow in the area. Yes, while it is primarily granite blocks; there is a lot more under the surface then 'just rock'.

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50000
written by hello, August 15, 2011

Every dollar spent on Solar is one more dime on research towards better and cheaper solar!

P.S. nice calculations "Deputy Editor"
They can't save more than $50,000 if they only use $50,000 worth a year!

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Re: But... but... GEOTHERMAL!
written by Dave, August 16, 2011

Ah yes... whoops. I was thinking of Yellowstone when I wrote that comment. Solar panels certainly make a lot more sense in Yosemite.

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written by patrickd, May 23, 2012

we went to yosemtite a long time ago and it was amazing and we are going again in july

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