Rating:

0.0 (0 votes)

New projects capturing the sun's energy are popping up across Tucson thanks to bond money. One project in particular has really captured the spotlight.

For the City of Tucson, installing solar panels on buildings is nothing new. It was 10 years ago that the city started using solar. The roof of the Reid Park Warehouse though has a different looking set of solar panels. "These are definitely not black lights as far as I can tell, they don't do anything at night except sit there and look like blacklights," says Tucson Solar Coordinator Bruce Plenk.

In April, the city put to work $7.6 million worth of energy bonds. That money went towards seven solar projects. This project is the most unique, because the panels that look more like blacklights are the first of its kind in Arizona.

"This is basically a thin film solar panel wrapped around a glass tube and put in a frame and makes electricity just like other solar panels that you talk about," says Plenk.

These panels produce almost 50 kilowatts, which cover a good chunk of the power needed at the Reid Park Warehouse.

"Sunlight that's reflecting off the white roof from the bottom or at a low angle is still hitting the solar panel. So we're getting production out of this earlier in the morning and later in the afternoon than we would with a regular solar panel because of all the reflection," says Plenk.

But are warehouse workers noticing any difference in quality when they flip a switch? One worker says, "Its not any different from what it was before so no difference as far as that goes, anything to go green, I'm all for it."

To track the solar output at the Reid Park Warehouse, visit: http://view2.fatspaniel.net/PV2Web/merge?&view=PV/standard/Simple&eid=277086