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Solar panels light up Yosemite National Park, don't spoil your view
Normally we like to keep our technology and nature reasonably separate, but like peanut butter and chocolate, some combinations turn out better than you'd think. In the latest in a long line of projects funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, Yosemite National Park has installed over 2,800 solar panels in the El Portal maintenance complex, neatly hidden from the all seeing eyes of the public. The plenitude of photovoltaic plates will produce about 800,000 kWh per year, saving the park $50,000 annually on its power bill and scoring it $700,000 in rebates from PG&E over the next 5 years. The 5.8 million dollar system cuts the park's reliance on carbon fuels by 12 percent, and is now the largest grid-connected solar energy system in the National Park Service. Press release junkies can hit the break for the official announcement; solar fanatics looking for a better view should check out KCRA's coverage in the links below.
