Solar shines

摘要

Photovoltaic systems may present a cost-effective alternative to replacing old distribution lines in sparsely populated areas. At 6,000 dollar a kilowatt, solar electricity costs too much for most utilities to even think about. But drop the price to3000 dollar ana a market of 500 megawatts to 950 megawatts opens up. And a big chunk of that market would be in rural America, where electric cooperatives predominate. At the lower price, photovoltaic (PV) systems could save co-ops 1 billion dollar to 2.5 billion dollar on line construction, according to Tom Hoff, principal author of The Potential Market for Photovoltaics and Other Distributed Resources in Rural Electric Cooperatives, a study commissioned last year by the Solar Electric Power Association in Washington, D.C. (NRECA is a member, along with more than 160 utilities and other organizations.)