While not a huge jump, the aggregate impact of small projects like this do count - not only putting in place energy from sources that never run out, but lowering costs of the technology and broading the base of experience for future projects. And hopefully VTA will expand from here.
As one of Santa Clara County's biggest users of electricity, the Valley Transportation Authority has been searching for ways to reduce its energy consumption.
So when Mountain View-based Skyline Solar asked the agency if it could build a 27-kilowatt demonstration at one of its bus yards, VTA jumped at the chance.
After all, the agency spends $5.3 million a year for electricity, most of which is for the light-rail system.
The 24 solar racks at VTA's Cerone bus yard in North San Jose, unveiled last week, will operate for 18 months and reduce power use at the station by 2 percent. While that doesn't seem like a lot, it's equal to the energy used by a small office building, said Mike Hursh, VTA's deputy director for maintenance.
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