MetroEdge’s EDGEucational Forum housed professionals seeking more information about the growing solar power industry with California’s premier solar company, Solar Power Inc. (SPI). Mike Anderson, Vice President of Marketing at SPI, began the discussion by illustrating the company's history and providing the audience an overview of large scale projects it has worked on across the state.
An example of SPI's work includes installation of solar panels on the Staples Center in Los Angeles and a recent project with Aerojet. SPI installed a 6 megawatt system at a local Aerojet facility over environmentally blighted land. This project demonstrates how solar panels can be located on land that may not be suitable for other purposes. Mr. Anderson also mentioned that the United State Environmental Protection Agency has been working with solar power companies such as SPI to research better ways to use blighted land.
With the increasing demand for renewable energy options, discussion of the oil spill crisis in the Gulf triggered questions among the curious forum. Mr. Anderson stated that contamination risks posed by fossil fuels and solar power stand in stark contrast. If a solar panel breaks, there is no threat of an environmental disaster - it simply stops generating renewable energy.
Those walking away from the EDGEucational forum gained a better understanding of the solar power industry and SPI's role as a local leader. They also learned how companies like SPI leverage technology and the demand to develop projects that create energy-friendly solutions for its residential, business, government and utility customers worldwide.
Mike Anderson, of Solar Power, Inc., (middle) chats with a few attendees after the Forum.
