Наблюдательные станции на горе Мауна-Кеа установили солнечные панели для повышения энергоэффективности

Mauna Kea is one of Hawaii’s tallest mountains — over 13,000 feet high. Atop it lies an observatory designed for studying the sky. Astronomers can study space above most of Earth’s atmosphere at this height. However, at first glance, none of the main instruments there appear to be looking toward the sky. Instead, the major item visible in photographs is a large area of solar panels on top of the observatory building. The panels create a small amount of energy used to run operations of the observatory. What could lead an observatory designed to explore the cosmos to add solar panels to such an extreme environment? Why put solar panels on a mountaintop observatory? Gemini North, part of the International Gemini Observatory, sits atop the 4,200-meter-high Mauna Kea mountain. The solar installations were added years after the observatories were built. Photovoltaic solar panels were added to the roof of the telescope building in 2015. It has 100 kW of solar panels and provides about 12% of the facility’s electricity. Gemini North was not the only astronomical observatory at Mauna Kea to utilize solar power. The trend eventually reached other observatories on the mountain. Both observatories adopted solar power at different times. W.M. Keck Observatory finished installing a rooftop solar system in 2020 at its own telescopic facility. Keck’s solar installation includes a 133-kW solar panel system with 332 panels. Why building solar panels here was not easy The two solar projects reduce each observatory’s need for electric power. Power generated on site is only part of each facility’s energy supply. At Gemini North, the solar panels generate just under 12% of the facility’s electricity. The remaining electricity still comes from other sources. Each year, Keck’s system is expected to produce 259.1 megawatt-hours of electricity. It should provide between 10% and 15% of the observatory’s electrical needs. Even so, neither observatory relies entirely on solar power. According to NOIRLab, the projects support sustainability goals and reduce reliance on fossil fuels. As you might expect, constructing solar installations at an extremely high altitude is not easy. Keck faced snow, ice, high winds, and other challenges while working on Mauna Kea. Workers faced extreme weather conditions as well as roughly forty percent less oxygen than is available at sea level. Another question is why solar panels were placed so far above sea level when similar systems could be used at lower elevations. The same mountain that helps astronomers also helps the panels The advantages of the location extend beyond astronomy. Its location continues to influence how both facilities operate today. Both Gemini North and W.M. Keck Observatory plan to expand their environmental efforts. At high altitudes, sunlight passes through less of Earth’s atmosphere before reaching the surface. Fewer photons are absorbed before reaching the solar panels because there are fewer atmospheric layers overhead. According to W. M. Keck Observatory, the panels capture more photons, which in turn generate more energy than similar systems located at sea level. NOIRLab says the high elevation allows Gemini North to generate more power than a comparable installation at lower elevations. What could these observatories learn from the panels? The solar panels were a much later addition to the mountain. Those who constructed these telescopes chose Mauna Kea because of its excellent viewing conditions for astronomy. The installations are also part of broader environmental goals. Both observatories continue to explore new ways to reduce their environmental impact. Keck Observatory’s solar installation has also become a testing ground for solar panels in extremely thin atmospheres. The findings may help guide future solar systems in places with thinner atmospheres. The lessons learned on Mauna Kea may also influence how future solar projects are designed and operated in very different environments. Read the whole thing? Get the week's signal, not the noise Our sharpest reporting on energy, climate and nature — free, once a week.