Safeway installing solar panels to save money, energy

[bananas]

http://www.contracostatimes.com/business/ci_6892225

Dublin Safeway has a bright idea
Grocery store installs more than 1,000 solar panels on its roof to save money, energy
By Blanca Torres

STAFF WRITER
Article Launched: 09/14/2007 03:07:53 AM PDT


Safeway senior vice president Joseph Pettus talks with congressman Jerry McNerney on the roof of the Safeway store in Dublin, Calif., on Thursday, September13, 2007. The Dublin store is solar powered by a sea of panels on the roof. (Jay Solmonson/Tri-Valley Herald)

Safeway has installed more than 1,000 solar panels on the roof of its store in Dublin to help the environment and cut its energy costs.

<snip>

The Dublin location is the first of 23 stores in the state that will have solar-power-generating rooftops. The other 22 panel systems will be installed within a year, Safeway officials said.

"This store has a huge electrical load," said Joe Pettus, the company's senior vice president for fuel and energy. "Safeway is the largest commercial consumer of energy in California."

<snip>

The Dublin store will generate about 7,500 megawatt hours of electricity per year. That is enough to supply about 20 percent of the store's average power usage and as much as 48 percent during peak sunlight hours of 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

<snip>


http://mcnerney.house.gov/bio.htm

Congressman McNerney was sworn into office on January 4, 2007. He is proud to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives representing California’s 11th District, which includes parts of San Joaquin County in the Central Valley as well as parts of Contra Costa, Alameda and Santa Clara Counties in the Bay Area.

McNerney was inspired to run for Congress by his son Michael, who in response to the attacks of September 11, sought and received a commission in the Air Force. Michael suggested that his Dad serve his country by running for Congress. With a deep sense of duty and his family’s support, McNerney began his journey to Congress.

Congressman McNerney is honored to serve on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee as a member of both the Highways and Transit and Water Resources and Environment subcommittees. McNerney is also privileged to serve on the House Committee on Veterans Affairs and the House Committee on Science and Technology.

McNerney, who has his PhD in mathematics, served several years at Sandia National Laboratories in New Mexico as a national security contractor. Then McNerney moved to California, accepting a senior engineering position with US Windpower, Kenetech, and in 1994 began working as an energy consultant for PG&E, FloWind, the Electric Power Research Institute, and other utility companies. Prior to his election to Congress, he served as the CEO of a start-up company that manufactures wind turbines.

During his career in wind energy, McNerney’s work contributed to saving the equivalent of approximately 30 million barrels of oil, or 8.3 million tons of carbon dioxide. Given his unique background and dedication, McNerney was appointed to the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming.

McNerney and Mary, his wife of 30 years, live and raised their children in Pleasanton, California. Their oldest son, Michael, a reserve officer in the US Air Force is now studying law at American University in Washington, DC. Daughter Windy graduated with an advanced degree in neuroscience, and youngest son, Greg, is studying bio-physics at UC Davis.

[losthills]

1. That's the way it will happen.

The free market will move toward renewables, dragging the government behind it like an anchor...

[NNadir]

2. You're joking, right?

Regrettably apparently not.

If the industry were real, and not a cheap "feel good" marketing ploy, we wouldn't need a shit for brains picture of every installation.

The installations would be taking place everywhere and people wouldn't care less.

When was the last time we needed to take pictures of executives standing next to a picture of them with their new furnace installation.

There is NOT ONE, ZERO, "renewables will save us" advocate who gives a rat's ass about the 80% of the electricity that this Safeway store is NOT getting from its solar toy.

There are zero "renewables will save us" advocates who have contemplated the size of this installation or its cost, or the amount of <em>energy</em> it will produce, which is, apparently, from the numbers, doodly squat.

[losthills]

3. I'm not joking.

Renewables are the way of the future.

[Dead_Parrot]

4. So's the eventual heat-death of the universe

What about the present? Or do you think there's nothing urgent that needs fixing sort of now-ish?

[losthills]

6. It's here today, Good Buddy.

Did you read the first post?

[Dead_Parrot]

7. The bit where they get 80% of their energy from whereever?

Yeah, I read it. You seem to be getting a different message from it, though.

Do you think that includes packing, shipping and customer transport, BTW? 'Cos I don't.

[diane in sf]

5. And Safeway will keep getting more efficient lights, fridges and freezers

till they can generate a much higher percentage of their own power needs with those solar panels.