Solar panels produce electricity from the sun’s rays. Installing solar panels is just one example of how Tampa Electric invests in renewable energy sources. Your participation in the Renewable Energy program will help support the construction of additional systems. Here is a list of solar panel systems that provide a portion of the electricity used to support the Renewable Energy program.
Tampa’s Lowry Park ZooTampa Electric joined with Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo and the University of South Florida’s Power Center for Utility Explorations on a new 15,000-watt solar panel system at the zoo. Completed in December 2009, the solar installation generates enough electricity to power the zoo’s Treetop Skyfari sky ride. The project, which also includes a Renewable Energy Learning Center at the zoo, provides research opportunities for USF and Tampa Electric to study the technical, economic and environmental benefits of a renewable, grid-connected photovoltaic system for Smart Grid electric power production.
Middleton High SchoolA magnet school for math, science, engineering and technology, Middleton High School hosts a 10,500-watt solar panel system as part of the school’s curriculum. In case of a natural disaster or other emergency, the system also provides supplemental power for the Red Cross shelter located in this school. This 60-solar panel system has battery backup for overnight uses and is the largest contained within any Florida school.
Museum of Science and IndustryExplore Tampa Electric’s first and largest solar panel system at the Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI) in Tampa, Florida. This system is directly connected to the same electrical system that sends electricity to your home or business. The entire system consists of 60 solar panels, each containing 216 crystalline silicone cells, with a total rating of 18,000 watts of electricity.
Manatee Viewing Center Tampa Electric’s Manatee Viewing Center in Apollo Beach, Florida (near Tampa Electric’s Big Bend Power Station) is home to a 40-panel, 7,000-watt solar panel system. Installed atop the Manatee Viewing Center’s education building, visitors can see this impressive system from the main parking lot and learn more about how solar power is generated.
Chart this system’s hour-by-hour output.
Walker Middle SchoolThe Tampa Electric-installed solar panel system at Walker Middle School in Odessa, Florida provides students, educators and parents with a first-hand look at how the sun’s energy can be turned into electricity. This 4,000-watt system is designed to help the school function as a hurricane shelter in the event standard electrical power is lost. This installation is the result of a partnership between the School District of Hillsborough County, Florida Department of Environmental Protection/Florida Energy Office (DEP/FEO) and the Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC).
To chart this system’s up-to-the-minute output, visit the Florida Solar Energy Center’s Web site. Simply scroll down and choose Walker Middle School to enter the performance database.
