Comments on: World’s Most Ambitious Solar Plan in LA

By: Mike Maybury

Mike Maybury — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 10:23:59 +0000

I have passed on this information to our councilors and city chiefs and environmental enthusiasts in Portsmouth, United Kingdom, to show what can be done with a little determination.

Humans seem to need good examples to follow.

By: Allen R. Gale

Allen R. Gale — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 19:15:14 +0000

Congrats to LA – we can do this if everyone, especially municipalities and state gov’ts get involved. The worst detractor to anything new is the naysayers that oppose anything new.

I would really be interesting in knowing the logistics of the municipal efforts. I have at least one town here in Metro Atlanta expressing interest in generating solar-based power for municipal needs and would like to know how we can model LA’s plan.

By: Tommy Sand

Tommy Sand — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 09:13:30 +0000

10% of one city’s energy demand IS not much. How about people trying to cut down on their energy needs too? That could have immense effect.

I’m from Denmark. We pay almost 3 times more for the power here than people do in the US. This in itself does not mean that we use less energy, but a big part of the cost goes to initiatives in developing new sources of energy, and into campaigns to make people turn off their electrical appliances.

How about trying to get people to turn off their computers, TVs, radios etc, when they don’t use them? I’m no statistics expert, but I believe that initiative alone could reduce the demand for electricity with AT LEAST 30% in the US.

Great Britain have another approach (I’m not sure if this is true for other countries) – lower rates on electricity during night time, in an attempt to even out the demand for electricity. This means less power plants, because the electricity grid is less active during the day. Less power plants (or solar panels, water turbines etc etc) means less over-capacity during the night, and a more steady flow of the production of electricity during any given 24 hour period.

There are many ways to try and optimize. But in the end, I believe that the biggest impact would come from the consumers. Wasting energy (be it electricity, gas, heat, or anything) is most certainly one of the easiest issues to deal with right now. And it’s all about the price of convenience.

Having to wait to use your computer until it boots, having to turn your TV on, having to turn the lights on when you enter a room.. Dealing with the heat instead of mindlessly turning on the AC.. A LOT of things can be done by the consumers. And I think that’s very very necessary.

By: Diana Jackson

Diana Jackson — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 15:32:19 +0000

Hello,
I’m trying to find out whether LA is really going to purchase the almost 950 acres next to the townsite of Niland, CA, along the railroad, for a big solar site. I heard rumors but can’t verify them.
Thanks.

By: Mike Maybury

Mike Maybury — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 13:02:57 +0000

10% is not very exciting.
With the sea nearby, surely we could see wave and tidal energy harnessed too.
Heat can surely be extracted as the Andreas fault line is close by. Geothermal energy seems unlimited in such a situation.
Wind energy should also be harnessed, as well as more modest geothermal from the ground under and around buildings. The ground can store excess heat in summer, saving on expensive air conditioning.
Starting is good, but I would have expected further progress by now.
Surely LA could aim to be carbon neutral within a limited time.

By: Keola Jimeno

Keola Jimeno — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 02:32:27 +0000

This has been an incredible effort by the city of LA and the people of Hawaii applaud LA for thier intiatives. Aloha!

By: Daniel Baldacchino

Daniel Baldacchino — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 22:26:45 +0000

One tenth of the power required by one of the tens of states in the US, which is just one of the six continents on earth…this is the first thought that comes to mind. But I am really pleased that this initiative will (hopefully) take place and god- willing, it will have a knock on effect, encouraging other states/countries to do their utmost in the battle for reducing fossil fuel dependency. Keep it up!

By: Total Solar Energy

Total Solar Energy — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 00:54:29 +0000

lots of cool things happening in California. Arnie is really pushing things along nicely. LA in particular has the capacity to be the number one solar city in the world.