Verizon Has Bright Idea To Use Solar Power At Central Site

via Trading Markets

Verizon will soon be using solar power to run the equipment that makes telecommunications possible in the Tampa Bay area.

By the end of this week, the company will complete the installation of 140 solar panels at its central office building in Carrollwood on Zambito Road. The Verizon office is one of 80 in the area that houses equipment used to manage phone calls and transport Internet data.

The solar equipment will generate 19 to 21 kilowatts of power a day, or about 23 percent of the building's electricity needs, Verizon said.

The savings could be significant, but Verizon spokesman Bob Elek said he wasn't sure how long it would take to recoup the cost of the project -- $300,000.

"It will take a while, but there's no question that the cost will be recovered," Elek said.

Verizon has completed similar solar projects in California and New Jersey.

"Those central offices have to be kept fairly cool because of the equipment that's in there," Elek said. "You can't let them overheat."

Elek said the company may install more solar panels at office buildings in a six-county area that includes Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco, Polk, Sarasota and Manatee counties.