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Kansas
solar power plans
KCC Report: Cost
Effective Solar Power in the Heartland
By Bill Spratley
A new Cost-Effective Solar Energy Report, Solar
Energy Symposium, Renewable Energy Fair and Solar Cars & Bikes Races were all
promoted in mid-May by the Kansas Corporation Commission (KCC). In addition to
the KCC promotional efforts, the Kansas Citizens Utility Ratepayer Board (CURB)
also featured the events in the May 2003 CURBside News.
At the KCC Energy Program, Solar Energy Symposium held on May 15, 2003, for
farmers, ranchers, homeowners, teachers, corporations, and local and state
government agencies Jim Ploger, KCC Energy Programs Manager said "The objective
was to demonstrate that solar cells are a viable source of energy for powering
many different types of electrical devices.
Other sponsors included the U.S. Department of Energy, Kansas State University
Extension Programs, Heartland Solar Energy Industries Association, and Heartland
Renewable Energy Society.
Topics covered at the symposium are also available in the recently released KCC
94-page report, Cost-Effective Solar Power in the Heartland, authored by
Dr. Gale Simons, Emeritus Professor at Kansas State University and Bill Roush,
President of Solar Electric Systems of Kansas City, Inc. The PV applications
found to be cost-effective in the report are:
Small-Battery Charging Applications
Building-Integrated Photovoltaic Systems
Cabin Power
Cellular Call Boxes
Cathodic Protection
Fans and Vents
Fence Chargers
Gate Openers
Lighting
Area Lighting
Marine Beacons
Outbuilding Lighting
Sign Lighting
Yard Lights
Marine Power
Original Equipment Manufacturing in Consumer Products
Recreational Vehicles
Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition Systems
Traffic Control
Transmission and Distribution Sectionalizing Switches
Utility Grid-Connected Solar Panels
Water Pumping Systems
Low-Volume Water Pumping
Medium-Volume Water Pumping (livestock water pumping)
High-Volume Water Pumping
Solar Hot Water with Solar Electric Pump Power
The 6.1 MB Solar Power report can be downloaded on the
KCC Energy Programs web
site.
An example of the report's findings is a Kansas inventor of a solar-powered
water pump, Buddy Armstrong, who was featured in an April 6 Topeka Capitol
Journal article
Inventor
Touts Bright Idea.
Other Kansas Solar Energy Events in Mid-May
The solar symposium at the KCC also coincided with the annual Formula Sun Grand
Prix, the Solar BikeRayce and the Heartland Renewable Energy Fair.
The Formula Sun activities were held at Heartland Park Topeka. The
Formula Sun Grand Prix features a
three-day race of full-size PV Cars, built by college and university students in
the United States and Canada on May 14-16. See Topeka Capital-Journal
article on the
Kansas
State University team solar car entry.
On May 18 some 35 teams participated in the annual
Solar BikeRayce, a 100k race featuring
PV charged electric bicycles, many from high schools throughout the country.
The Heartland Renewable Energy Fair was also held May 17 at Heartland Park
Topeka. This all-day event featured the latest information on a variety of
renewable sources from various alternative fuel vehicles to Solar
Do-It-Yourself. The Annual Meeting of the
Heartland Renewable Energy Society, a chapter of the American Solar Energy
Society (ASES) was also held the same day. The primary focus of the fair was
public education and promotion of environmentally safe, sustainable energy.
Finally, David Springe, Consumer Counsel for CURB, also noted in the May
CURBside News that the consumer agency is working hard to launch its first
web site
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Back to Solar Articles
Other Helpful
Kansas links
accessKansas: the Official Web site for the State of Kansas
Official website for the State of Kansas. Includes visitor guide, history, government and business information.
Kansas State Historical Society
Kansas State Historical Society, Topeka, Kansas...
KU: The University of Kansas
The official Web site of the University of Kansas.
Kansas State University
Official web site of KSU, located in Manhattan, Kansas.
accessKansas: the Official Web site for the State of Kansas
...accessKansas: the Official Web site for the State of Kansas...
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