A few weeks ago in a this post about Sprint’s move to use more alternative energy, I wondered aloud what other cell wireless providers were doing in the same space. Today, Verizon got the media spotlight for its green moves in Tampa, Florida. Verizon is expanding its green energy program in Tampa by installing 140 solar energy panels at its central office building there. The Tampa Bay Business Journal reports:
The installation of the solar panels would cost approximately $300,000, said spokesman Bob Elek. The project also supports Florida Gov. Charlie Crist’s objective of reducing greenhouse gases in the state and encouraging alternative forms of renewable energy, the company said.
The solar energy panels are expected to generate an average of 19 kilowatts to 21 kilowatts of daily energy production, reducing the Verizon building’s normal power consumption by 5.5 hours a day, according to the release.
Good stuff - and better if Verizon does it nationwide. So, why Tampa? The press release sheds some light on that:
Verizon also intends to take advantage of rules being considered by the Florida Public Service Commission (PSC) that would allow independent producers of solar and other alternative energy sources to offset energy consumption with annual electric bill credits and deliver excess customer-owned renewable energy to the electric utility. Called “net metering” rules, they provide incentives to promote clean, alternative energy sources throughout Florida.
One key to increasing the attractiveness of alternative energy is net-metering rules, which some states have but many states do not.
The Tampa project isn’t all that Verizon is doing. According to TMCNet, nationally Verizon’s bid for energy reduction also includes the use of alternative energy sources in their network, buildings and vehicles including the development of hybrid vans and service vehicles , the powering down or removing of obsolete equipment from their 411 buildings nationally; the use of micro turbings instead of diesel engines at two sites in California and the installation of seven fuel cells for primary power at a switching and training facility in New York.
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