Stock photo of the sun

Imperial County Solar Farm Projects located on the south end of the valley, courtesy of Imperial County Planning & Development Services website. COURTESY PHOTO

PV Panels along Highway 8. TENASKA COURTESY PHOTO

Stock photo of the sun

Imperial County Solar Farm Projects located on the south end of the valley, courtesy of Imperial County Planning & Development Services website. COURTESY PHOTO

PV Panels along Highway 8. TENASKA COURTESY PHOTO

The Education Specialists have just begun to outline and script the first video of the Imperial Valley Desert Museum’s Virtual Classroom: Green Energy Video Series. The Green Energy Video Series will be STEM focused and adhere to Next Generation Science Standards while introducing students to the

different types of renewable energy projects found in Imperial Valley and how they operate. The first video will solely focus on the introduction of renewable energy, terms associated with green energy, and solar power. Solar energy in the Imperial Valley within the last ten years has expanded tremendously and continues to do so. Imperial Valley hosts a very favorable environment for solar panels, with high average peak sun hours and a lot of sunny days.

The First Peoples Connection to the Sun

The First Peoples of our region, the Kumeyaay, have a long history and relationship with the sun in Imperial Valley long before solar energy. The Kumeyaay examined the position of the sun to determine the duration of solstices and equinoxes, which told them when to hold certain ceremonies, plant, harvest,

and when to do other food management ceremonies. The sun has served as an important source of light, heat, and indicator to the Kumeyaay.

The Journey of Electricity: From Solar Panels to Powering Homes

Some of the first and most notable solar projects found in Imperial Valley are Tenaska Imperial Solar Energy Center located on Highway 8, and Mount Signal Power Plant on Highway 98 towards Calexico. The Imperial County Planning & Development Services website provides maps showing the solar energy projects that have been completed, are underway, or proposed to happen soon. Imperial Valley hosts a very favorable environment for solar panels, with high average peak sun hours and a lot of sunny days.

There are three main types of solar energy technologies: solar thermal, concentrated solar power, and solar photovoltaics. The most prominent solar energy technologies found in the Imperial Valley are photovoltaic power stations, also known as a solar plants or farms. They are made of a large-scale photovoltaic system designed to supply power into the national electricity grid, supplying electricity at the utility level.

To produce electricity, first sunlight needs to activate the solar panels. Each individual panel is constructed of a layer of silicon cells, a metal frame, a glass casing surrounded by a special film, and wiring. Located inside each solar panel are solar cells, which are also referred to as photovoltaic cells, that absorb sunlight during the day. Each cell contains two pieces of silicon, one that is negatively charged and another that is positively charged. When light particles strike the solar cells located inside the solar panels, the cells produce an electrical current because of electrons falling and being attracted to the positively charged silicon.

Several solar cells connected to each other and mounted on a frame is called a module. Large amounts of electricity modules are grouped together to form an array, which are scattered through and open field to capture as much solar power as possible. The direct current electricity gathered from modules then travels to the inverter and transformer, which convert power into usable electricity we have inside our homes. From the transformer, electricity flows to a substation, which regulates electricity voltage and distributes power to homes through distribution lines and power poles.

There are three distinct advantages of solar power: renewability, abundance, and sustainability. The sun is an infinite source of renewable energy that provides an effective solution to energy demand. The Earth’s solar energy potential is almost infinite and capable of producing more power than we will ever likely need. Harnessing power from the sun will not take from future generations, it will still be available for generations to come.

The main disadvantages of solar energy are cost, space, weather dependency, and association with pollution. The initial upfront cost of solar energy can be high, with solar technologies consistently developing it is safe to assume prices will fall. Solar PV panels require a lot of space, especially when trying to gather the maximum amount of sunlight as possible. Solar energy is considered an intermittent source of power because solar panels do not generate electricity at night, the variation of sun intensity, and weather affecting the amount of solar panel energy. While the power that solar panels generate have

zero emissions, there is some pollution associated with solar panel manufacturing.

When it comes to energy of the future, solar certainly looks to be promising. Stay tuned as our summer series continues with the Imperial Valley Press, our next article will highlight another renewable energy source found in the valley, wind energy! Be sure to check out the Museum’s current video series on YouTube!

The Imperial Valley Desert Museum is located in Ocotillo. It is open Wednesdays through Sundays, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

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