A Spork in the Road

And now for something completely unrelated to my ongoing physiological solipsism:

Energy-gobbling city home to biggest solar roof (CNN):

…at a ceremony scheduled for Thursday, city and state officials commemorated the city’s convention center, newly powered in part by the largest single-roof solar-panel array in the United States.

The 13,321 photovoltaic panels will produce an average of 26 percent of the convention center’s energy, according to consultants. The panels cover most of the roof’s usable space, leaving room for walkways and other equipment.

“We estimate that we are going to save $4.4 million over the 20 years of the contract [with the solar provider],” said Jeff Vasser, president of the Atlantic City Convention & Visitors Authority.

I’m fascinated by the potential of solar panels (especially in Florida, where it seems an obvious power choice), and I feel chagrined at my own ignorance of the practicalities of this technology in terms of finance, technical challenges, local regulations, etc.

Solar energy will have to be one of my research projects this year. Stay tuned!