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New solar panels atop City Hall in Nevada City are the latest sign of Nevada County’s position at the forefront of alternative energy efforts in the state.
The panels installed recently will generate 9 kilowatts of electricity, providing about 18 percent of the electrical power needs of the building, Vice Mayor Reinette Senum said.
The city’s governmental seat joins schools, churches, businesses and private homes that have gone partially or fully solar in an effort to offset the rising cost of electrical power. In addition, many of these systems generate power that is transferred back to the local utility company.
Nevada County also is a center for the solar power industry, with companies including Grey Electric. The Grass Valley firm is building and testing two solar arrays to power cellular telephone service on a remote coastal island.
The city now has three solar systems — others are at the city pool at Pioneer Park and the maintenance yard — that together generate about 23 kilowatts of electricity, Pacific Gas and Electric Co. spokesman Brian Swanson said.
That’s about 30 percent of the power they require, saving the city about $6,900 yearly, at current rates, Senum added.
Power generated this way reduces the need for electricity from power plants.
“The city systems will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 18,000 pounds each year. This equates to planting about 1,500 trees each year or not driving an average sedan 65,000 miles,” said Kelly Casterson of PowerUp-NC, the Nevada City nonprofit she co-founded with Senum that partnered with the city, PG&E and Plan It Solar of Penn Valley, which installed the system.
A rebate from PG&E of $43,473 helped finance the 48 photovoltaic panels installed on the roof of City Hall.
“Including the municipal systems, there is now a total of 63,380 watts of commercial solar energy (generated) inside the Nevada City limits,” Power-UpNC said in a written statement. “We are quickly climbing the ladder to being the city with the most solar electricity per capita in California.”
To contact City Editor Trina Kleist, e-mail tkleist@theunion.com or call 477-4230.
The panels installed recently will generate 9 kilowatts of electricity, providing about 18 percent of the electrical power needs of the building, Vice Mayor Reinette Senum said.
The city’s governmental seat joins schools, churches, businesses and private homes that have gone partially or fully solar in an effort to offset the rising cost of electrical power. In addition, many of these systems generate power that is transferred back to the local utility company.
Nevada County also is a center for the solar power industry, with companies including Grey Electric. The Grass Valley firm is building and testing two solar arrays to power cellular telephone service on a remote coastal island.
The city now has three solar systems — others are at the city pool at Pioneer Park and the maintenance yard — that together generate about 23 kilowatts of electricity, Pacific Gas and Electric Co. spokesman Brian Swanson said.
That’s about 30 percent of the power they require, saving the city about $6,900 yearly, at current rates, Senum added.
Power generated this way reduces the need for electricity from power plants.
“The city systems will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 18,000 pounds each year. This equates to planting about 1,500 trees each year or not driving an average sedan 65,000 miles,” said Kelly Casterson of PowerUp-NC, the Nevada City nonprofit she co-founded with Senum that partnered with the city, PG&E and Plan It Solar of Penn Valley, which installed the system.
A rebate from PG&E of $43,473 helped finance the 48 photovoltaic panels installed on the roof of City Hall.
“Including the municipal systems, there is now a total of 63,380 watts of commercial solar energy (generated) inside the Nevada City limits,” Power-UpNC said in a written statement. “We are quickly climbing the ladder to being the city with the most solar electricity per capita in California.”
To contact City Editor Trina Kleist, e-mail tkleist@theunion.com or call 477-4230.
