This SRVUSD press release appeared earlier today in the Danville Patch with some very qulifying responses from readers. An industrial solar power generation station as installed at five SRVUSD schools simply does not belong in residential neighborhoods. Large scale industrial superstructure with tracking mechanisms is not appropriate to good neighborhood relationships with each campus. The installation along Danville Blvd at SRVHS appears to be a celebration in memory of the Embarcadero Freeway along the San Francisco Waterfront.

Installations are ugly and only provide humorous review of how SRVUSD made the decision for installation of such industrial power plants. That part seemed to be left out of the SRVUSD press release.

Your journalism needs to provide the answer.

I'm very happy that the district chose to access these funds and invest in the future by using solar energy for local schools. I do not think that the appearance of these installations detracts from the landscape or neighborhoods nearby. I attended a couple of the board meetings last year and felt that the board members were careful and conservative in making the best decisions possible. I am glad that my children are able to attend school in the SRVUSD. Let the sun shine!

You're delighted and our kids will be lighted for many, many years to come.

And ol' [removed] is still benighted. The beat goes on.

An unbelievable waste of taxpayer money. The cost per KWH for this "green" application is many times the cost per KWH as compared to a coal, gas, or nuclear plant. Time for us to utilize our own natural resources to achieve affordable, reliable energy, and quit spending public money on such pipe dreams.

It's a loan, not a "waste" Taxpayers are paid back 100% of the borrowered funds through energy savings that are guaranteed and outlast the payback period. Local installers employed; Sunpower panels are manufactured in Richmond, California, further supporting local employment. Even members of the San Francisco Giants support Sunpower solar, a big Bay Area employer. Net cost per KWH is *zero* and in fact, solar turns a profit through continued lower energy costs once the loan is repaid. Worldwide energy demand could be double in 16 years when this particular loan is repaid due to the growth and change going on in China. It's truly unfortunate, given the relative safety and long-term low cost of solar power, the world can't afford to abandon gas, coal and nuclear, but we need it all.

Congratulations to the school district for completing such an ambitious and forward looking project.

Sounds "nice" on the surface, doesn't it.
However, a 16-year breakeven point is NOT that good at all. That's a LOT of RISK possibilities to incur. Therefore, the project sounds like it was too lucratively (for someone) expensive in the first place with that far out of a break-even point. A 3, 5, 8, maybe even 10 year breakeven point would have been OK.
If this supposedly "green" technology is so good, then let it stand on its own two feet (like any other business) WITHOUT SUBSIDIES. If it's a good idea, see the proof (not estimates) and purchase it. If not, don't.
I really question the LOCATION of the SRV HS panels for the long-term. I'm not convinced that they haven't built those panels right in the way of where they are going to need to do future construction (of drop-off lanes, tennis courts, electrical conduits, drainage systems, lights, etc). Can you imagine how the entire spreadsheet estimations will CHANGE FOR THE WORSE if there has to be any major alteration or re-construction of these panels during the course of their 25 year projection period.
These "estimations" and "projections" are shaky! (This is the type of salesmanship that leads to bilked investors--a la the half-billion dollar Solyndra debacle.)
Ultimately, this is really another case where BIG GOVERNMENT decides to take OUR tax money and spend it on non-governmental (private business) issues. Sure they "justify" it by two nice causes and rationales--to "stimulate" the economy and to create jobs. (Oh, but they choose just one narrow segment of the economy--"green" power and "union" construction jobs--at the competitive detriment to all other segments of industry.
And talk about direct "payoff/payback" to their liberal constituents and liberal powerbase and then the further re-generation of their "empire" of political power and control.
ON THE OTHER HAND, this selfish grabbing is exactly what our current system of Government fosters and encourages in its politicians....and in us. Act on it now and TAKE THE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF SUBSIDIES.....or someone else will and the money will be gone. Get in on it........
(It's similar to how the Government "influenced" the general public to stretch themselves too thin in the Real Estate market--by pressuring FANNIE MAE into loosening its underwriting standards--enticing people to buy a house that they couldn't afford by taking an ADJUSTABLE RATE LOAN now (that would blow-up on them in the future). Get in now before the market price goes up too high to ever afford. Get in on the gamble. Get in on the "blind" government subsidies. Get your hand out and grab. Open your hand and let the money fall in. Look the other way. Get in......or else.)
Government is turning us into a pack of Vultures--but, ultimately, feeding upon our collective selves.
Who is going to have the fortitude to stand up to and against (and to eliminate) the $23 million dollar government subsidies that have such nice sounding "causes" and "reasons" behind them. We, the voters, have shown ourselves to be susceptible to being bought off and fooled.
So now, EVERY TIME YOU SEE THESE PANELS remember that we are being bought off and that good governmental values (no subsidies, especially unequal subsidies) are being destroyed!

What is so ugly about panels over the parking spots at the SRV HS. My company has an office in Texas where much of the parking lot is covered because of the large amount of heat generated by the sun on the ashphalt. I think the panels look great in the parking lot. I pass them every day on my way home. The project is no cost to the district and those funds can eventually be utilized for other needs. The logic I have read in some of these comments is out of left field. They are missing the big picture!

It will be interesting to see how long it takes for this boondoggle to be exposed for what it is, hype - more hype - and still more hype!

A 16 year payback plus should be the first clue.

Another Solyndra in the making!!

Interesting to see the goofy posts about how the installment purchase of a clean energy source which does not require an eternal commitment to buying more gas or coal to burn for every kilowatt consumed, with current installment costs equal to the cost of conventional electricity and which will actually provide free electricity down the road must be "hype", "boondoggle" and the destruction of good government.

Seems like some people are blinded by their ideological agendas.

Dear Editor,

As you update this story in consideration of the commentary in this exchange, there are a sequence of issues to answer:

#1 Does a Sunpower industrial solar power generation station belong in residential neighborhoods?

#2 If Sunpower and its parent, Total, see their future in roof-top installations, then what are the long-term prospects for success of these industrial power generation stations installed at SRVUSD campuses?

#3 Should Sunpower, or other leading solar firms be compared to Solyndra planning, operations and results, and should we expect a vital, global solar industry to be impacted by Solyndra's mismanagement of its invested capitalization?

#4 Much evidence of solar PV alternatives have been discussed based on emerging technologies with little future need for industrial superstructures, tracking mechanisms and power management facilities. Thus what is the future of solar PV during the period of pay back projected for SRVUSD industrial solar power generation stations' operations?

#5 Does SRVUSD have staff experts in installation, operation and maintenance of solar PV power generation?

Good job SRVUSD ... smart investment!

The teanut moron brigade just does not get it.

I have to liken the school board and the purchase of these asinine solar panels to the gadget guy who buys the “latest and greatest” gadget only to find out it has major problems. The gadget guy then spends tons of money trying to fix the problems he would have avoided had he waited until the tried and true version came out. I very much suspect the district will need to put in hundreds of thousands more to fix the problems that will arise with them wanting to get headlines for themselves.

Solar panels are to SRVUSD as:

(a) gadgets are to problems
(b) hundreds of thousands are to tried and true
(c) problems are to headlines
(d) Doug's posterior is to third base

Time will tell how wrong you are!!

Wait until the 15 year olds with learner permits start colliding with the solar poles in the student parking lot. Forgot about that expense as well? ROI after that is around 25 years. What is the useful life of the solar panels btw?

Frankie: have you SEEN those structures? They look like they've been built to withstand The Big One, by which I mean a direct frontal assault by all Douglas' miss-placed predictions, rolled into one!

I am all for Solar energy. My only question is why don't we utilize the electicity distribution network that already exists? We should build huge Solar Farms, located in the desert. Load the solar energy into the grid and let ALL taxpayers benefit. Distributing the generation panels throughout our communities is ridiculous. High cost, waste due to redundency, maintenance is going to be a nightmare!
We dig trenches to hide electrical wires and eliminate utility poles. Then we throw it all out the window because PERSONAL solar panels get a tax break.
Now lets talk about Nuclear. Check out the French electrical rates and safety record. Enough said.

Right. We should forget about solar and buy more imported oil from nations that hate us.

I support the idea of Solar, and am actually considering it for my yhome, but can someone tell me why the panels were not placed on the roof of Monte Vista, or behind or beside the school? Sorry barb, those panels are ugly!

you people quack me up. Such ignorance,no wonder the US is going down.
Did you even read that there is a performance guarantee? Do you understand what that is? Do you really think PGE rates will remain the same for the next 20 years? Do you drink Kool-Aid mixed by Jim Jones too?
The biggest issue I see with this install is the tremendous amount of steel used to support the tracker canopy; particularly with the shading in the area in the parking lot where they were installed, and potential growth of the trees around that area over the next 20 years, which will cause even more shading. That steel was expensive - might have been better to install fixed tilt and save money on the support structure.
And to Doug and his 'gadget' comments - there are *real* installations that have been around since the early 80s, still producing energy - there's actually a 1MW field out at Rancho Seco, for your information. You might want to educate yourself a bit before making claims in a public forum, otherwise you look ignorant.

Cardinal

I guess it didn't take that long to prove you wrong...


Web Link

Our school district board needs to be called on the carpet for this one!

sponge_bob_roundpants

You are the one who needs to educate yourself...

Web Link

Oh, Doogie, you need to go outside and breathe fresh air, and please don't confuse Faux Channel content with anything remotely approaching reliable.

From the Article: The Department of Energy ... says it conducted "months of rigorous technical, financial and legal due diligence" on this project so it met "the requirements of the program -- helping America win the clean energy race and create new industries for American workers."

However, there is A CHANCE that this project will fail, and GUESS WHAT? IF it fails, you and I and the American taxpayer will be on the hook for a $1.2 billion tab...[sheesh]

Doogie -- that passage reminds me of an exchange I had with a girl, in college:

She: "Cardinal, the only way I would sleep with you is if you were the last man on earth"

Me: "So, you mean there's A CHANCE?!"