Good Day Sunshine
By Katherine Bourzac
It tells technicians like Doug Felmann (pictured here) how much of the sunlight striking the solar cells is being converted into electricity. The plant is designed to operate with no staff on site. Rain will wash the panels occasionally. PowerLight and General Electric will monitor the output of groups of panels over the Internet; PowerLight will dispatch technicians as needed for repairs and once a year for preventive maintenance. PowerLight is building an even larger plant near Las Vegas this year.