Sonoma County Water Agency (SCWA) is attempting to utilize clean renewable energy, especially solar power energy, as much as possible. Despite being a water-focused agency, it aims to have "carbon free water" by the year 2015. This means that the agency is looking for ways to produce green renewable energy that can be used to transport water, which is a very energy-intensive process. SCWA has a large annual energy requirement of about 60,000 MW, so it has much work to do before it has carbon free water.
Types of Green Renewable Energy
The agency is looking at many different types of clean renewable energy to complete its vision; it is already working on diverse projects, including ones that use hydrokinetic and geoexchange systems. It has completed successful energy projects, and some of the most notable of these involve solar power energy.
SCWA has installed three solar power systems. They are located at the main administration building, the Airport-Wikiup-Larkfield Wastewater Treatment Plant, and the Sonoma Valley Wastewater Treatment Plant. For these solar power systems, 11,272 solar panels are used. Together, they generate 3.29 MWh, which helps to reduce the amount of carbon-created electricity used by the water agency.
Solar Power Projects
In order to generate so much solar power energy, Sonoma County Water Agency had to be creative with the ways in which it designed its solar power systems. For its main administration solar power system, the agency turned its roof into a solar power roof. It also fitted panels onto covered parking spaces in its parking lot. This system can provide all of the energy that the building needs, making it carbon free.
SCWA was also creative with both of the wastewater treatment plants that it outfitted with solar panels. To generate electricity from the sun, the agency mounted solar panels onto the ground. The Airport-Wikiup-Larkfield plant has panels surrounding a storage pond, while the Sonoma Valley plant has panels at a field next to the storage pond.
Unfortunately, mounting the panels to the ground proved to be too tempting for thieves, who stole dozens of the panels and a lot of wiring. SCWA hired security personnel, which seems to have solved the problem.
Goals for Carbon Free Water
Sonoma County Water Agency's goal to only use clean energy is certainly not easy to achieve. However, it is making considerable progress toward carbon free water. For more information, see SCWA's website.
If more agencies and businesses decide to go "carbon free," it is possible that global climate change can be curbed. At the very least, solar power energy and other forms of green renewable energy can be utilized forever, unlike energy that is derived from carbon.
Sources:
Sonoma County Water Agency. 2010. "Photovoltaic Systems." SCWA.ca.gov. Accessed May 9, 2010.
Sonoma County Water Agency. 2010. "Energy & Sustainability Projects." SCWA.ca.gov. Accessed May 9, 2010.
Lisa Devoto - Lisa Devoto has professional experience as a writer, editor, and administrator for an environmental consulting firm. She has a B.A. in ...
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