puzzling performance [RE-wrenches]

[graham at solarexpert.com]

Kevin,

I have responded to the reporter, Editor and Op Ed department.
Hopefully they find my response worth investigating.

The reporter called me about 10 days ago, claiming to be an
“environmental reporter” seeking to do a “positive” article about a
recent CLA report which shows that LADWP’s city owned PV system produce
electricity at a rate of $.80 kwh, twice the average market rate of
other PV systems.  I spent close to an hour on the phone with this lady
and I can’t believe how she misquoted my statements and put such a
negative spin on the title and story.

The arrays on the convention center are installed on a round building
and direct sunlight only strikes sections at any given time.  This PV
system was designed as a showcase project, visible from the intersection
of the 110 and 10 freeways just south of downtown.  Public exposure was
more important than sunlight exposure.   I wont get into the shading
issues with the parking lot system installed at LADWP’s downtown
headquarters. 

I have seen presentations at LADWP about future projects, seemingly
excessively customized to me and wondered to myself if these will be
audited someday by those who do not include additional value for clean,
grid-stabilizing on-site generation.  Personally I think PV is best
suited as a DSM (demand side management) retail end, customer choice
technology.  This is where the funding should be directed.

Graham




-----Original Message-----
From: Keith Cronin [mailto:sales at islandenergy.net] 
Sent: Sunday, January 04, 2004 7:37 PM
To: RE-wrenches at topica.com
Subject: puzzling performance [RE-wrenches]


Hey California Wrenches

Why doesn't some one write to Kerry Cavanaugh
kerry.cavanaugh at dailynews.com to clarify the articles vagueness. Perhaps
he could write another article from a solar guy or two. The public needs
to know and compare something tangible. Without that, solar again and
again, will have to fight for its merits. Graham did a great job
identifying the other benefits of the program, but the general populous
is oblivious and need to be brought up to speed.

Keith Cronin
President
Island Energy Solutions Inc
318A Kuulei Rd
Kailua, HI 96734
808-262-3268 Tel
808-263-0338 Fax
www.islandenergy.net
 

-----Original Message-----
From: Christopher Freitas --- OutBack Power
[mailto:cfreitas at outbackpower.com] 
Sent: Sunday, January 04, 2004 5:15 PM
To: RE-wrenches at topica.com
Subject: RE: puzzling performance [RE-wrenches]

Bill Brooks wrote:
> It looks like someone is actively trying to discredit the LADWP
program. 
> 

Look at who they quote in the article: Henry Martinez, DWP assistant 
general manager for power generation at LADWP.

I wonder how much power they expected to get from these systems in the 
first place? I like how they give statistics (just 29 percent from one 
and 37 percent from the other) without giving any real numbers - such as

how much power the systems actually produced or even just what they even

expected.  

Also, are they talking watts or watt-hours (note he says "capacity" not 
production - in another article on the LADWP convention center system 
they made the following statements:  

"The 250-kilowatt solar installation parking facility project, part of 
the Los Angeles Convention Center 400-kW system, is scheduled for 
completion at the end of summer. The Convention Center project's 5,200 
solar modules, including the 3,300 modules on the parking structure 
roof, will produce the amount of energy powering 200 homes a day during 
peak times." (this works out to about 2000 watts per house - based on 
the 400 kW system rating)

So - I agree with Bill - It sure looks like someone is using made up 
numbers to discredit the LADWP solar program.

Christopher Freitas
OutBack Power Systems, Inc.
cfreitas @ outbackpower.com  
www.outbackpower.com
Arlington WA USA
Tel 360 435 6030  

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