Southern California Edison, a regulated subsidiary of Edison International, is one of three major investor-owned utilities in California and has experimented with solar for several decades.
In 1998, Edison International formed a unregulated subsidiary called Edison Technology Solutions to meet the needs of emerging competitive energy markets. One of its goals is to aggressively assist the PV industry in bringing cost-competitive products to the marketplace.
Edison is partnering with the California Energy Commission and U.S. DOE to educate the public about PV. The company plans to put panels on 100 schools in southern California by the end of 2000; presentations to science classes will inform students about what’s happening on their rooftops.
To reach the public at large, they are setting up highly visible systems at tourist attractions like the Santa Monica Pier and the Long Beach Aquarium, where millions of people visit each year. Edison is installing so many systems, that they have matched SMUD, the industry leader (see Business Activism). An electronic kiosk at each of the sites will teach the public about PV.
The Santa Monica Pier installation is complete, with a 50-kW array running a Ferris wheel. The 660 solar panels started generating electricity in October.
FROM Solar Today
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