ANSWERS TO END-OF-CHAPTER QUESTIONS

only during daylight hours and their output varies with the weather. Utility planners must
therefore treat a PV power plant differently than they would treat a conventional plant.
Despite the costs, utilities are becoming more involved with PV. An alliance has been formed
between DOE, the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), and several utilities. The
program is called Photovoltaics for Utility-Scale Applications (PVUSA) and there are
presently three pilot projects, including the Kerman PV plant. Photovoltaics have found some
use in other parts of the world, including Australia, Japan, and as the text discusses,
Switzerland. Developing countries have been slower to use photovoltaics on a large scale
because of the high cost.
60. The Solar America Initiative program receives so little publicity that most people in the
United States are unaware of its existence. Design a poster to explain and promote some part
of this program to the general public.
Answer:
The Solar America Initiative is coordinated by the U.S. Department of Energy. The program
aims to improve the cost-effectiveness of solar energy to the levels of conventional forms of
energy (coal, nuclear power, hydroelectric power, etc) by 2015. Funding is available to
universities and companies for research and development of solar technologies. The program
also gives grants to local governments to encourage changes in energy regulations and
promotion of solar technology among residents. Thirteen U.S. cities were chosen to be Solar
America Cities in 2007, and a second round of grants will be announced in 2008. A third
grant program supports Solar America Showcases, which are large projects that draw public
attention to the benefits of solar energy. The first showcases funded are powering homes on a
military base in Oahu, Hawaii, large buildings in San Jose, CA, and the Orange County
convention center in Florida. Student posters could focus on any of these aspects of the Solar
America Initiative.
PAGE 8-22