Sun Power, Pole by Pole
By JIM CALLAGHAN
It has taken some 80 years, but a dream of Thomas Edison’s—to harness the power of the sun—is coming to greater fruition in New Jersey.
Public Service Electric & Gas Co., the state’s largest power supplier, is nearing completion of a program to mount 175,000 solar panels on utility poles along highways and residential streets. Those involved with the $200 million project say it’s the largest installation of its type in the world.
The last of the 3-by-5-foot solar panels—which weigh about 25 pounds and are mounted on angles part-way up the poles to maximize exposure to the sun—is scheduled to be installed in early April. The panels were going up at a rate of 300 a day until Sandy interrupted the process. Some 120 solar poles were damaged by the storm, according to utility spokesman Michael Jennings.
The combined energy generated by the panels, 40 megawatts, would be able to power more than 6,000 homes, according to the utility.
“The beauty of the panels is that there are no capital costs—we already own the poles,” said Ralph LaRossa, president and chief operating officer of PSE&G, a unit of Public Service Enterprise Group.
The company also is building solar farms on the sites of abandoned factories, brown fields and closed landfills.
This has to be the ugliest project ever. Why not put solar panels on flat roofs of industrial buildings? Or is it part of the ‘liberal feel-good’ mantra?
No question that it would be much more cost effective to put this on large industrial roofs.
The poles and wires are ugly on there own so a small solar panel does not matter. It contributes to lower energy cost then so be it.
You are correct in saying that the small solar panels do not matter –
They are not cost effective and are just a feel good, force it in your face, uglification, social engineering project.
Makes the superficial aleviate guilt for their energy footprint o f60 inch flat screen TVs, Large SUVs, huge houses, vaction homes, and on and on and on…
inmates running the asylum now…
We will learn from these solar panel projects and that will help with innovation in this area. Solar power is in its infancy and will evolve. People made fun of Henry Ford. We are not driving Edsels today.
An Edsel is a Ford…
unreal.
The power companies already own the poles and their proximity allows then to be more easily connected to the grid. New ideas can be scary to some but we need to advance the science.
the difference is Ford didn’t ask for government subsidies ,in fact at one point the powers that be worked very hard to stop him
It is in our national interest to become energy independent.
We have enought Natural Gas and Oil resources to be self sufficient.
That’s what needs to be done.
The aganda IS NOT energy independence… its reduction of fossil fuel use.
No one is buying what you are selling.