Solar power plantIn 1980, the first U.S. government solar power plant was dedicated. It is sited in the sunny desert at Natural Bridge National Monument, Utah, and at the time the world's largest. An array of over 250,000 solar cells arranged in 12 long rows provides up to 50 kilowatts of power. The plant provides elecricity for the park's visitor center, staff residences, maintenance facilities and water sanitation system, which were otherwise 38 miles away from the nearest alternate power line. The power plant was part of a joint venture of MIT's Lincoln Laboratory and the Dept. of Energy. Huge batteries provide power at night and on cloudy days. A backup diesel generator automatically takes over if the batteries are drained too low. Its use is far less than the one the solar panels replaced, saving noise, exhaust pollution and fuel cost.« |
