PG&E teams up with SunTech Power and Fronius to illuminate a billboard

SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 3 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Pacific Gas and Electric Company today unveiled the nation's first solar-powered billboard, located in San Francisco, Calif. The billboard is part of the utility's new advertising campaign, titled "We Can Do This", which features information about a variety of programs and services PG&E offers that reflect the company's commitment to the environment.

"As a leader in the fight against climate change, we are always looking for new ways to educate our customers," said Greg Pruett, senior vice president of corporate relations at PG&E Corporation. "With this solar-powered billboard -- the nation's first -- we increase the amount of clean, renewable energy we provide our customers. We also hope to capture the imagination of Americans about the actionable steps one can take to reduce their environmental impact."

The nation's first solar-powered billboard is prominently located at 1000 Brannan Street in San Francisco, visible from the Highway 101 9th Street exit. It is outfitted with 20 solar modules that can provide up to 3.4 kilowatts of renewable solar energy to the PG&E grid. The power generated by the system exceeds the power used at night to illuminate the billboard's lights. In addition to installing solar, PG&E replaced the billboard's halophane light fixtures with energy-efficient LED lights.

"Solar power is a core element in California's response to meeting increased electric demand and reducing greenhouse gas emissions," said Adam Browning, Executive Director of the Vote Solar Initiative. "PG&E has demonstrated a commitment to making renewable energy work for California. This leadership is critical if we are to be successful in fighting global warming."

The solar panels, provided by SunTech Power, collect direct current (DC) electricity from the sun's rays. Using a Fronius IG 3000 grid-tie inverter, the renewable energy is converted to alternating current (AC) power and fed into the electricity grid.

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