S.L. building is model on benefits of solar power
On Friday, eight solar panels were installed at the Utah Department of Natural Resources building at 1594 W. North Temple in Salt Lake City. The system was installed by Solar Energy International, a Colorado-based organization that provides education and technical assistance in renewable energy technologies.
The solar panels, at a cost of $12,000 including installation, will generate roughly 5 kilowatt hours of electricity per day, which is about one-quarter of the electricity a typical home consumes per day, according to Kris Sutton, an instructor with SEI.
In Utah, the average electricity usage of residential customers is roughly 25 kilowatt hours per day, mainly because of the state's high use of central air conditioning, according to Dave Eskelsen, a spokesman for Utah Power.
"As long as the sun is shining, it's offsetting a percentage of the building's load," Sutton said. "This would be the same equipment we could use to generate power for any residence or any commercial building."
Nearly 30 participants took part in the weeklong SEI class, with many traveling to Salt Lake City from across the United States. Two of the class participants came from as far away as England and Puerto Rico.
Philip Powlick, state energy program manager, said the main purpose of the solar panels is to provide a demonstration model to the public in how solar energy operates.
"It's not a big system," Powlick said. "It's not intended to power a lot of the building. We want to increase awareness of solar as a resource in Utah. Utah is one of the best states in the country for solar energy resources."
The electricity generated by the panels travels directly to the building's main electric grid.
Dale Tominaga, owner of ZipZone Technologies, a Salt Lake-based solar design and installation company, said the cost of solar energy remains an impediment to most consumers. But Tominaga said if everyone installed a 1 kilowatt solar energy system on their homes, the overall energy savings would be enormous.
According to Solarbuzz.com, solar electricity cost 21.6 cents per kilowatt hour in April, up 3 cents per watt compared to March 2006. Utah Power customers pay roughly 7 cents per kilowatt hour for their electricity.
"The cost of solar energy has been coming down," said Jay Peltz, associate instructor at SEI. "In fact, the industry is growing so rapidly that we've actually run out of raw materials. Solar panel worldwide production has been doubling about every 18 months, and it has been doing that for the last five to seven years. There is a little bit of a worldwide shortage right now. Probably next year they will get fairly caught up and we'll start to see more reduction in the price."
E-mail: danderton@desnews.com
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