May 26 2008

The Size of Solar

Posted by: Katie Romans

Today's Gristmill featured a post addressing the argument that solar takes too much space, a common gripe about today's generation of solar technology.

While admittedly imperfect, the side-by-side comparison with coal production engages an interesting discussion -- solar production per square foot is not only cleaner, it yields more energy than coal mining.

For this reason and others, PG&E continues to sign contracts with utility-scale solar thermal power companies like Silicon Valley solar start-up Ausra. Backed by green investor Vinod Khosla and VC firm Kleiner, Perkins, Caufield & Byers, Ausra is under contract to build 177 megawatts in solar power plants in central California for PG&E. And, we continue to sign contracts with companies capable of developing and deploying clean energy on this larger utility scale.

This is not to leave distributed solar out of the party. Distributed solar can absolutely provide the same benefits as utility-scale solar and help address some of those pesky size/scale issues that come with sprawling solar farms. While we are still working through the policy and financing kinks of this relatively young industry, PG&E encourages the adoption of distributed solar as a viable clean energy option for customers through the California Solar Initiative (CSI).

So, to those who complain that solar energy is simply too big, I would encourage them to consider the benefits and, perhaps more persuasive -- consider the alternative.

© 2008 Pacific Gas and Electric Company. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms

"PG&E" refers to Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of PG&E Corporation.