Friday, December 5, 2008

Largest solar installation is in Nevada

Nellis AFB solar array

Here's half the photo taken from Wikipedia's story on the Nellis Air Force Base installation of 72,000 photovoltaic cells in a tracking array. The cost was high - $100 million, but financed in a manageable manner. It took at least six years to make it's way from legislative proposal to finished product, but the 15 megawatts of electricity at 2.2 cents/kWh will save the base $1 million each year in costs.

The design and construction company, SunPower, is a leader in the field. According to Wikipedia, they are to build a 1-megawatt parking lot canopy solar array for Agilent Technologies, Inc., that will be the largest solar installation in Sonoma County, California.

The photos that accompany the article are in the public domain as they have been taken by Air Force personnel: thus, U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Robert Valenca. It seems that you can see the entire photo by clicking on what is shown.

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

Statue dedicated in 2002 in Carterville, IL

John A Logan

Among the interesting images that Google provides is this recent sculpture that represents General Logan setting aside his sword, putting on civilian garb, and turning to the work of establishing a peaceful nation. The location on a college campus which puts an emphasis on local participation at levels from childhood through adult is particularly fitting, I think.

The communities where Logan was born, where he lived as a young father, and devoted husband, son and brother, have taken the opportunity to use his example of giving of himself for a higher purpose. I hope to be able to visit Carterville and Murphrysboro one of these days.

Gen Logan in later life

John A Logan

This visual of General Logan suits my feelings about him better that the intimidating wartime photos that are used when he is the subject of an article or a book. We know that the later part of his life is covered in a second volume by James Pickett Jones, John A. Logan, Stalwart Republican from Illinois (1982). At some point, I may try to read that companion to Jones' 1967 Black Jack.

So many of the Lincoln-centered histories describe Illinois' politics in the pre-Civil War era from the Northern viewpoint that I find it illuminating to have Jones writing with more emphasis on the Southern Illinois politician's arguments.

In Logan, we have a politician who switched parties, making for a story that is an especially interesting topic following a hectic presidential election.