Solar panels have been skyrocketing in popularity lately; you can find them everywhere from zoos to corporate parking lots and their popularity does not appear to be dying down any time soon. Solar panels are an excellent way for companies to cut back on their own costs and give back to the grid – this is exactly what one La Quinta, California apartment complex is striving to do.
Wolff Waters Place apartment complex in La Quinta, California, has made the ‘green’ move and installed solar panels atop their carports. This new addition is the largest solar panel installation in the desert and is sure to benefit all of those living at Wolff Waters Place. Some may think that the complex would use the solar-generated electricity to provide power for the complex, but Wolff Waters Place will be putting the power back into the grid instead. The complex will receive credit from the Imperial Irrigation District, reported KPSP Local News.
The solar panels will assist in lowering rent and utility costs while also benefiting the environment. In 2010 the electric bills for the common area at the complex was $70 thousand – this year they expect to cut this number in half. The project, which cost nearly one million dollars, is hoped to be the wave of the future:
“‘We at Renova believe it is carport structures, as mounting structures, that really are the way to go forward in building larger systems so we don’t disturb undisturbed land,’ said Renova Solar President Vincent Battaglia.”
While only 2,000 homes in the desert have been outfitted with solar panels, the article says Battaglia hopes that this changes in the future. While the panels do come with a seemingly hefty $25 thousand dollar investment they help homeowners cut back on utility bills, include tax credits, and are beneficial for the environment.