Yosemite National Park spending 3.8 million tax dollars to save $50,000; might break even in 2088

By Kevin “Coach” Collins

Yosemite National Park has installed the largest solar energy system in the whole United States National Park System. The system will provide 672 kilowatts which is 12% of the park’s yearly electric power requirements. The system installed by Suntek (doesn’t that name make you just want to hug a tree?) consists of 2,800 solar panels “tastefully” integrated into the existing architecture of Yosmite’s  administrative and maintenance compound.

A 500 kilowatt solar canopy covers the parking lot, a 100 kW rooftop section serves as a collection system on top of the warehouse and an additional 72 kWs wrap the building’s outer walls. Nevertheless, before you jump up and shout “Holy renewable energy!” consider the dark side of this “money and energy saving green policy.”

New meaning to the term “Lifetime guarantee”

 The system cost $4.5 million and over the next five years the Park will receive $700,000 in energy rebates to offset the cost of installation” meaning the total price will ONLY be $3.8 million! But this is the good news. Here’s the part we’re not supposed to focus on: The Obama Administration paid for this project with $4.4 million for his “New Dealesque” American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, and the yearly savings will be $50,000. Relying on the lack of education government schools provide, the “Park News” press release ignores the fact that at that rate it will take until 2088 to break even the unlikely event that the original equipment lasts that long.            

 This “harvesting of ‘green energy’ as is true with so many other ‘green dreams’ is a fraud.

 The admitted useful lifespan of solar panels is 40 years when properly maintained. Allowing that federal civil servants will properly maintain these panels, this means an additional expense of approximately 9 million more tax dollars to replace them over the next 75 or so years.

This balloons the total cost of the project to at least $12.8 million making the year $50,000 savings laughable.  To contact your Congressional Representative use this link: http://www.contactingthecongress.org/

To read more use this link:

   http://www.nps.gov/yose/parknews/arrasolar.htm

This day in history August 31

1886: An earthquake kills 100 people in Charleston, South Carolina.

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