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Environmental organization expands solar research project
Dashboards and maps were created to outline solar usage data in five Pinellas County cities.
The Suncoast Group of Sierra Club Florida first started providing solar data to Clearwater residents many years ago. This summer, the organization’s team decided to expand its services to St. Petersburg, Largo, Dunedin and Safety Harbor.
For each city, the Suncoast chapter has created dashboards with interactive maps, outlining how solar energy is used.
The organization’s goal is to provide residents with accurate and accessible information that shows how solar projects are making an impact both environmentally and financially.
Receiving positive “feedback and engagement” in Clearwater inspired Suncoast organization members to explore more of the county, group chair Bryan Beckman said.
They created a dashboard for each city that shows estimated yearly savings and pollution reduction as well as a graph that shows increases in finalized solar permits over a 10-year span. The interactive maps highlight how solar is used in specific neighborhoods as well as middle and lower-income communities.
“We wanted to show visually where all the solar has been permitted,” Beckman explained. “It’s another layer of verification.”
Additionally, a group dashboard was created to show how many City-owned properties use solar energy, he said.
The organization specifically chose cities that set renewable energy goals for the project. St. Pete was the first of the five to do so.
Out of all the cities, St. Pete has the most solar installations, Beckman said. Additionally, the City owns 14 properties that utilize or are permitted to use solar panels.
For Beckman, one of the most promising aspects of solar power is its financial impact. Based on the data collected, installing solar panels can save the average household approximately $2,500 yearly.
The City of Clearwater is conducting an analysis to determine if it should create its own municipal utility because of increased Duke Energy electricity bills. The City has had a long-standing agreement with the company, he said.
“People are tired of those rising costs and they have no control over what Duke does. They have no other choices other than Duke for an energy provider.”
The only thing residents can do is explore alternative energy sources like solar, he believes. St. Pete is currently experiencing a similar situation.
Beckman hopes Suncoast Group of Sierra Club Florida’s work will make a difference and encourage more residents to consider solar energy.
“Solar is still new to many people, and a lot of people just aren’t familiar with it or don’t understand it,” he said. “Hopefully this will shed more light.”
To view the solar dashboards and maps, visit this website.
