Posted on 11/10/2014 7:37:17 AM PST by lacrew
The $2.73 million project started Oct. 2 with a site layout and installation of panel frames. Dozens of panels had been installed by Wednesday a total of 2,629 will be installed. Each panel, made by Suniva, is 3 feet by 6 feet, said Jim Gleisberg, spokesman for the VA Eastern Kansas Health Care System.
Topekas project is funded by the VA Central Office and will save the VA in Topeka more than $300,000 in electrical utility costs yearly, Gleisberg said.
The solar panels will produce about 700 kilowatts per day, or roughly 8 percent of the power on the campus. The minimum campus demand is 1,000 kilowatts per day. The peak campus demand on hot or cold days is about 3,000 kilowatts per day.
(Excerpt) Read more at cjonline.com ...
I don't understand the reporter's math...when she says they produce 700 KW per day, I assume that's KWH? Who knows.
Anyway, using the gubmint's estimates, the payback will be in 9 years - I'm sure based on the rosiest of estimates. But will the panels even survive 9 years...time will tell.
One Kansas Hailstorm(tm) and its all over.
Ah, more folks what don’t know no science installing solar, eh?
It’s nice watching folks throw their money into the street.
They’re not throwing their money in the street - they’re throwing YOUR money in the street and feeling self-righteous for doing so.
A couple million dollars all to operate a few lamps, coffee makers, and perhaps a handful of cellphone chargers.
The carbon savings will be offset by the cremated remains of the vets dying inside
Which Obama-donating crony got the contract(s) for this?
BS, made up number, why not say $3,000,000?
“Its nice watching folks throw their money into the street.”
Sadly, its our money.
Let’s see. $2.73 million. Conservatively, that would about cover 18 physicians, or 36 advanced nurse practitioners, or 46 registered nurses. That would provide personnel for at least 72,000 patient visits a year. That would help reduce the VA’s patient backlog. Hmmmmm. Clean and green versus taking care of patients? No brainer!! Go with your ideology! It is for the children you know!
I assume the owners and investors are Obama donors. I note Goldman Sachs is one of them.
The VA in Tucson has a vast solar field that forms carports for their parking lot.
Not only did they put in solar panes, but the carport structures to hold them.
It is nice to have your car in the shade while you visit, but it must lengthen the pay back to build all those structures to hold the panels.
Save the planet f
the Vets.
I’ve lived in the Commonwealth my entire life and I’ve never heard of Topeka, VA.
How far from Richmond is it?
;-)
I was thinking the same thing...
The info on what the panels produce, as well as what the hospital uses, is so screwed up, I can’t begin to calculate whether or not that $300k is even reasonable.
The article does say that this would be 8% of the power used...so it seems that the annual power bill would be $3.75 million...which is $10k per day...which sounds completely bogus.
“Theyre not throwing their money in the street - theyre throwing YOUR money in the street and feeling self-righteous for doing so.”
Correct indeed.
And that’s the problem. Were they to waste their own money, so much the better for you and I.
But...we should always remember the phrase, “I am a liberal democrat. I’ve got what it takes to take what you’ve got.”
That was my first thought. You can bet your ass that the company contracted to install these things are big Democrat donors and politically connected.
Of course, part of their profits from this will go back into Democrat coffers via donations. THAT’S how tax payer money/spending gets laundered/funneled back to THEM. There should be a law passed that if an entity receives money from the government in any way, they won’t be allowed to make donations to political organizations or candidates for 5 years after the funds were received.
BOTH parties would HATE it, but that would clean things up a bit. They’d surely find a workaround though. They always do.
Really? Seems a bit optimistic when there are only 114 sunny days per year in Topeka. Oh, wait...Obozo probably gave them a deal because he's trying to kill fossil fuel production. In fact, I'll be he got the panels at a discount from his buddy who owned Solyndra before he drove it into the ground.
So at $2.73 million it will save the $300K per year. That means not counting maintenance it will take 9.1 years to save the original cost of these panels. If we add in maintenance I’m sure it will go well beyond 15 years to reap the savings.
As for “will the panels survive 9 years” I’m not sure because Kansas is known to have a tornado or two.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.