GEORGIA TESTS 7 KINDS OF SOLAR PANELS

Georgia Power Launches Solar Research Project
June 1, 2009 (PR Newswire via Yahoo Finance)

"Georgia Power…[and corporate parent Southern Company will] launch a rooftop solar demonstration program aimed at increasing the use of renewable energy in Georgia…[by] installing seven different commercially viable photovoltaic (PV) panels on [the Georgia Power corporate headquarters] roof to test which solar technologies perform best with Georgia's weather patterns and climate.

"The project, funded by Southern Company and Georgia Power, will generate cost and performance data of leading solar technologies and will assist customers interested in purchasing photovoltaic panels for their own homes or businesses. The project will collect data from the panels for a minimum of one year."

Different kinds of rooftop solar suit different kinds of roofs in different kinds of places. What will work in Georgia? (click to enlarge)

"Energy generated by the PV panels will partially offset the electricity needs of Georgia Power's corporate headquarters. Each test technology will be capable of producing approximately four kilowatts. Four of the solar technologies have been installed, while the remaining technologies will be implemented as they become available…

"Georgia Power designed and constructed its corporate headquarters in the 1980s with energy efficiency in mind…"

Different kinds of rooftop solar suit different kinds of roofs in different kinds of places. What will work in Georgia? (click to enlarge)

"The company also recently expanded its Green Energy program to include a premium option that allows customers to purchase renewable energy - 2 percent of which is solar - at a cost of $4.50 per 100-kilowatt-hour block. This solar research project will augment Georgia Power's existing renewable energy strategy.

"The company plans to make the solar demonstration production data available to the public via an interactive kiosk that will be set up in the lobby of the corporate headquarters…[with] real-time information…along with Web data. Georgia Power will work with an independent consultant to evaluate the performance of each technology and may consider expanding the project at the end of the evaluation stage…"