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California Local The California energy crisis, state incentives and a healthy environmental movement have fueled a boom in the use of solar photovoltaics in sunny San Diego. Local 569 in San Diego has completed the first phase of a project to add solar panels to its eighteen-year-old apprentice training center. The work was completed by a class of journeyman wireman apprentices in September, said Training Director Jim Westfall. Local 569 is following in the footsteps of Local 332, where the new union hall drew wide attention in March 2001 as the first large commercial solar electric system installation in San Jose, California. (See IBEW Journal "The Promise of Solar Photovoltaics," June 2001.) Now in the San Diego area, the use of photovoltaics is catching on among residential and commercial projects, said Local 569 Business Manager Allan Shur. "The energy crisis in California really pushed it," Shur said. "It became really attractive to a lot of people. We have a strong environmental community and photovoltaics was just a natural." The training centers solar panels today generate 32 kilowatts of electricity, Westfall said, but theres more to come. "Weve got enough room and framing to add another 33 to 35 percent. The rest will be added as part of ongoing training." Not only will the building be able to save money by not consuming traditional fossil-fuel, hydro or nuclear power, the local can sell back any excess power it does not use to the electricity provider. "Whether we use the power or shut the building down, its really like the goose that lays golden eggs," Shur said. The local anticipates the solar panel installation will pay for itself in eight years. The training centers photovoltaics were placed on a 40-foot by 180-foot steel structure on the building, positioning the light-grabbing panels at the optimum angle for the most sunlight, Westfall said. The structure cost more than it would have to place the panels directly into the roof, but Local 569 figures the expense was worth it for several reasons. First, the local is using its new capability to show off its benefits to visitors, who can view the photovoltaic panels easily from the roof. "We have lot of visitorscontractors, legislators, office managerson a regular basis who actually walk among the panels and watch it operate," Westfall said. "We use it as a marketing tool." Also, California, especially following the blackouts and high electricity prices that accompanied deregulation in 2001, provides anyone considering integrating renewable energy into its arsenal with big incentiverebates of 50 cents on the dollar. Those are big reasons demand for solar photovoltiacs is increasing, particularly in the residential sector. "A lot of the housing units being built in the last couple of years have been offering some kind of photovoltaic add-on, Shur said. "It could make a great difference, depending on the amount of panel area." The local is working with environmental organizations such as Greenpeace and the Sierra Club to push for a solar bond issue, Shur said. The referendum would fund a $50 million project to equip city buildings with solar power. "Solar seems to be catching on, everywhere in California," Shur said. Local 569 also supports alternative fuel powered vehicles. The local has a front parking place for anyone with electric cars to stop and recharge, free. |
