FPL Betting on Solar Energy
The new FPL Miami-Dade Solar Energy Center will start powering customers by mid-2019.
FPL (Florida Power and Light)—the third largest electric company in the United States—is leading the smart, cost-conscious expansion of solar in Florida, which plays an important role in its future strategy of making smart investments to generate clean and affordable energy for its customers.
The company has researched and operated solar energy in the state for more than three decades. Currently, FPL is the largest generator of solar energy in Florida with 14 major solar power sites that produce approximately 930 megawatts of solar energy. The company has announced four new solar energy centers that will break ground this summer and begin powering FPL customers by mid-2019.
FPL, which serves approximately 5 million people throughout the state, is amid one of the largest solar expansions ever in the U.S. with more than 3.5 million new solar panels added in the last two years.
Additionally, Florida is ranked ninth in the country in terms of solar resource—the strength of the sun’s rays—making it a great place for solar. “Solar only works when the sun is shining. And anyone who lives in the Sunshine State knows that our weather is often unpredictable. That’s part of the reason we construct our solar energy centers in different parts of Florida. It allows us to continuously generate solar energy, even if it’s raining near you,” said Devaney Iglesias, communication specialist at FPL.
The newly announced solar sites are:
1. FPL Interstate Solar Energy Center, St. Lucie County
2. FPL Miami-Dade Solar Energy Center, Miami-Dade County
3. FPL Pioneer Trail Solar Energy Center, Volusia County
4. FPL Sunshine Gateway Solar Energy Center, Columbia County
The four sites will cost an average of $103 million and are expected to power approximately 60,000 homes and, over their operational lifetime, produce net savings for FPL customers of $40 million.
Miami-Dade
In 1984, FPL commissioned its first universal solar installation, a 10-kilowatt photovoltaic facility in Miami that helped the company’s employees gain experience with the then-emerging technology.
Fast forward 34 years and FPL is about to break ground on a 74.5-megawatt solar power plant. The FPL Miami-Dade Solar Energy Center will be located near Krome Avenue between 122nd Street and 136th street in southwestern Miami-Dade. This center, with more than 320,000 panels, will generate enough energy from the sun to power approximately 15,000 homes. It is expected that during construction this site could generate approximately 200 new jobs.
This project is just one of the many FPL is investing in to help us meet the energy needs of Miami-Dade County, which continues to morph into one of the largest metropolitan areas in the U.S.
“The FPL Miami-Dade Solar Energy Center is comprised of more than 320,000 solar panels, and that’s just the beginning of what’s coming to this community. FPL plans to install one million solar panels here in Miami-Dade,” Iglesias confirmed. The official assured that the solar energy centers are practically silent, operate autonomously and without water. The panels are very close to the ground with a unique design that minimizes the impacts on the wetlands and surrounding areas.
These advancements continue to improve FPL’s carbon emissions profile, which is already approximately 30 percent cleaner than the U.S. industry average. FPL’s typical 1,000-KWH residential customer bill is approximately 30 percent lower than the latest national average and among the lowest in the United States. A typical FPL customer bill is smaller today than it was during 2008.
Benefits of solar energy
1. The sun is a constant source of energy, so its energy is renewable, and we do not have to worry about running out of light.
2. It is friendly to the environment since solar cells do not release anything into the air, contrary to fossil fuels that emit greenhouse gases.
3. It works with silent systems, so there is no noise pollution.
4. With regards to cost, the only investment is related to the components and solar panels installation. There are no additional payments associated with their use.
5. Solar panels are reliable. There is no need to spend a lot of hours on their maintenance.
6. It is a great option to bring electricity to isolated places around the world. Sometimes installing a power grid can be more expensive.
7. Using solar energy also has a positive impact on children’s education, economic technologies and fosters respect for the environment.
Fun facts
• The sunlight takes a little more than 8 minutes to reach the Earth and a few seconds more to get in contact with the solar panels.
• The first commercial photovoltaic cell was invented in 1954 by Bell Laboratories.
• Each square meter of our planet receives around 1,366 watts of direct solar radiation.
• To feed the entire Earth with renewable energy, we would need to install solar panels on more than 494,687 square kilometers.
• The cost of solar panels has decreased by 80 percent since 2008.
• In 2016 a solar panel was installed every 84 seconds.
• China has the largest solar power in the world followed by Japan, Germany, the United States and Italy.
Haz clic para leer en Español: FPL apostando por la Energía Solar
