ReGeneration Roadtrip: Looking to the sky for energy

Spotlight on North America’s largest solar power plant at Nellis AFB 1

 

Regeneration RoadTrip 08

 

This is a guest post from my travel partner, Todd Dwyer, head blogger for Dell's ReGeneration.org, where the piece originally appeared.

-----

Solar panelsThe ReGeneration Road Trip rolled into Nellis Air Force Base in Las Vegas to see North America’s largest solar photovoltaic power plant. Covering 140 acres and providing some 14 megawatts of electricity (enough to power 13,200 homes), this place has to be seen to be truly believed.

The huge solar panels, designed and built by the SunPower Corporation, stretch in all directions as far as the eye can see, and every 30 seconds or so, the panels whir as they slowly turn to track the brutal Nevada sun across the sky.

RoadTrip 08 - Day 4

Not only is the Air Force taking advantage of Las Vegas' most persistent (to put it nicely) resource, the sun, but this array was built on the grounds of an old landfill, saving money that would have otherwise been used to make the land livable again. The solar plant meets about 25 percent of the electricity requirements of the base.

We caught up with Colonel Pat Fogerty, the base's Civil Engineer Squadron commander, to learn more about the solar plant as well as other green initiatives the base has accomplished:

We've also got a few videos from the base and our conversation with Col. Fogerty on our Qik page.

A few of the pictures we took while we were there:

solar panels

solar panels

solar panels

solar panels

Sarah van Schagen is Grist’s Seattle editor.

Advertisement
Advertisement
  1. archigeek Posted 2:50 am
    29 Sep 2008

    Very nice...I wonder, however, how much more the PV grid could provide in the way of the bases' energy needs if they embarked on a plan which created more efficiencies and enhanced conservation techniques. 'Tis a shame and a sin that the military always gets these gold-plated(I exzggerate, somewhat)facilities and systems, while we the average citizens are told to suck it up go away. Seems the military needs to be reminded that it is they who serve us, and not the other way around. How many Black Works-type projects are in the pipeline that we, the banker for the military, are funding? We, as average citizens CAN'T even be told how much. My guess is that the military and their suppliers are in collusion to rip us off by the BILLIONS! Now the bailout for Wall Street thieves and their scoundrel operatives in Congress.

    The mellotron is your friend.

Add a Comment

You are not logged in. Thus, you cannot post a comment. If you have an account, log in. If you don't have an account, well, by all means go make one! Meet you back here in five.

Hello, Visitor!    Why not register?

Series Intro
Grist and Dell hit the road in search of a sustainable future 1
Van Jones talks about the National Day of Action 0
A quick stop at Google HQ 1
Tesla's motoring toward sustainability one sports car at a time 4
A visit to Alemany Farm in San Francisco 0
On the road to Vegas, we spot two wind farms 6
Visiting the Victory Garden outside San Francisco City Hall 0
Hitting the Vegas strip to see the world's largest LEED certified building 0
Spotlight on North America's largest solar power plant at Nellis AFB 1
Vegas may serve as hopeful proving ground 1
Living and learning at Arizona State University's School of Sustainability 2
Bridging architecture and ecology at Arcosanti 4
Living off-grid in a reclaimed gravel pit 3
Finding out what's important at the Rocky Mountain Institute 0
Raising a glass to sustainability at New Belgium Brewery 0
We're headed out on the town -- join us 1
Streamlining the agricultural process in Iowa 0
Constructing a green space for green biz 0
Chicago's City Hall is growing green 1
Methane digesters make dairy good sense 0
The Chesapeake Bay Foundation's HQ is green and gorgeous 1
The Wolf Trap Center connects art and nature 1
Film Biz Recycling aims to roll credits on the wasteful film industry 0
Greening the South Bronx and empowering its community with Green Worker Cooperatives 2
The Green Theater Initiative aims to direct change 0
Verdant Power shows it's got the RITE stuff 0
Maps, videos, and images from our cross-country travels 0
Advertisement