Here Comes the Sun

 Park Sierra is going solar.  The project, financed by a company called Sunwealth, will provide power for the park and all its members.  Sunwealth is footing the almost $4 million dollars and getting all kinds of tax write offs and carbon credits.  Park Sierra is providing the land, our not-for profit status, and users.  

Site clearance is complete and we are awaiting grading.  A fence will enclose the site, some native plants will shade the view, but not the panels, from the few sites that can see down that hill.  It is an exciting chapter in this co-ops history and will cap our kilowatt costs at about a third of current PG&E rates.  We won't be totally independent as a battery backup, which the park would have to pay for, isn't in the cards just yet.  But as PG&E is hardening their fire defenses, we are having less power outages and most of us have generators (mine is solar) as part of our RV lifestyle

A lot of people worked thousands of  volunteer hours for this project to happen.  My part is small.  I've written an article for Escapees Magazine, to be published in July\August on the project.  And proceeds of the article will be donated to the landscape committee for the native plants.   Here are a few photos of the site where sloping arrays will be erected.  Sunwealth will maintain this area for 25 years, then sell it to the park for $1.00.   The solar panels should still have 85% efficiency and who knows what new technology will be available by then.  A group of visionaries built this beautiful park 40 plus years ago. This is the legacy of the current members to the future.

Just after the survey stakes were placed, I took this photo of the site where the solar array would be placed.  This is late winter.  The photos, below,  taken after clearing began show the spring green of the site.

 

Clearing shows beyond the trees.