ARMY AND AIR FORCE BUILDING SUN

Skyline Solar breaks ground on solar power plants at two military bases
Dana Hull, January 10. 2012 (San Jose Mercury News)

"Skyline Solar…has broken ground on two 100-kilowatt solar power plants at domestic military bases -- Edwards Air Force Base in Southern California and Fort Bliss in Texas. Skyline's contract from the Department of Defense is worth a modest $1.85 million, but the company hopes it will…[prove the] product. Many Silicon Valley cleantech startups regard the military as an ideal early adopter, willing to take risks on new technologies that need to be tested…

"The Department of Defense has about 300,000 buildings on its installations and spends nearly $4 billion a year on the energy needed to operate them. It is searching for clean technologies that can be standardized and installed at military bases throughout the world…Skyline is one of several solar startups using CPV technology, or concentrated photovoltaics, to concentrate the sun's energy onto photovoltaic cells. It differs from standard rooftop solar panels in that is uses an optical system to focus sunlight onto each cell. Skyline's X14 System is named for its ability to concentrate sunlight 14 times using glass reflectors."

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"Skyline's systems work best where the sun shines brightly and humidity is low -- in the American Southwest, northern Mexico, the Middle East and Australia. The two small military installations, each of which will generate enough electricity to power about 20 homes, will provide data about how Skyline's technology performs in different climates…

"Both projects are expected to be completed by April. Skyline will not be required to submit its plans to a lengthy environmental review process because much of the land on military bases has already been disturbed by vehicle traffic or munitions explosions…"