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Power to the people
Suzanne Fredrickson, Staff WriterPublished: October 30, 2008
Electric bill: $19.25. It may seem impossible, but the Public Safety Training Center has found a way to make it happen.
The PSTC in Windsor significantly cut its electric bill by going solar on Sept. 27, 2007. Its electric bill for October 2006 was $8,300; the following October it was down to less than $20.
The PSTC is one of the first SRJC locations to install a solar system, also known a photovoltaic (PV) system.
Paul Bielen, assistant director of facilities operations at SRJC, said the Board of Trustees decided to install solar systems throughout the JC to create a greener campus.
The Solar Electricity Information Center Kiosk located on the first floor of the Frank P. Doyle Library offers information about solar systems at the JC. The kiosk says, “SRJC has invested in onsite solar generation because we’re committed to providing clean air for our community,
protecting the environment and securing a better energy future.”
The PSTC project took five months to complete. The panels are located in the PSTC student parking lot, where they provide covered parking. Any extra electricity created gets credited to the PSTC for future billing cycles.
“The cost was around $2.4 million. The funding came from grants, PG&E rebates and SRJC,” wrote Scott Askim, Coordinator of Facility Operations at the PSTC.
Bielen said the PG&E rebate was $711,000, which leaves SRJC still paying nearly $1.7 million of the system cost, but the system is covering most of the PSTC’s electric needs, “In about 10 years we’ll be free and clear,” Bielen said.
Bielen said the Doyle Library is also equipped with photovoltaic technology. The 44- kilowatt system located on the roof, brings a $136,000 rebate from PG&E. The panels not only produce electricity, but also decrease heating and cooling costs, and extend roof life. Lounibos Hall also is equipped with PV, and received a $250,000 rebate from PG&E.
Plover Hall’s 144-kilowatt array has been installed and will receive a $411,000 rebate from PG&E, when it goes online.
Bielen said the rebate from each setup is used to help pay for the next system. Haehl Pavilion is the next facility scheduled to be equipped with PV.
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