 
IBEW Helps Air Force Harvest Solar Power
February 2008, Electrical Worker
The largest solar photovoltaic power system in North America went on line in the Nevada desert last December, thanks to the efforts of more than 90 journeymen and apprentices, largely from Las Vegas Local 357. Covering 140 acres of desert just outside of Nellis Air Force Base, the massive solar panel array now provides 30 percent of the base’s power.
 “It’s the biggest solar project we have ever been on, and our members really showed their skill and dedication by getting it up and running,” said Local 357 Business Manager David Jones.
More than 90 IBEW wiremen worked for eight months in the Nevada desert to get Nellis Air Force Base’s new photovoltaic system up and running.
Nellis Air Force Base, just northeast of Las Vegas, is one of the Air Force’s main training facilities for fighter pilots, employing more than 8,000 workers. The $100 million, 15-megawatt solar system is expected to eliminate more than 20,000 tons of carbon emissions that would have been produced using traditional energy generation.
"This project at Nellis is a first step of many toward making renewable electricity integral to the operations of the U.S. Air Force," said William Anderson, assistant secretary, United States Air Force Installations, Environment and Logistics. "As the largest consumer of energy in the federal government, the Air Force is well-positioned to promote both solar technology and new approaches to its implementation.” The system is expected to save the Air Force more than $80,000 a month.
The project, a joint venture of the Air Force, the Sun Power Corp., the Nevada Power Co. and MWA Renewable Ventures, LLC, was planned over three years and broke ground last April. Bombard Electric, a signatory contractor with Local 357, was chosen because of its specialization in renewable energy. “We’ve worked on every solar project in Nevada,” said Chris Brooks, director of the renewable energy division for Bombard. L.C. Electric, a minority-owner signatory contractor, was subcontracted by Bombard for some of the work.
The intense heat of the Nevada desert in the summer – which can exceed 110 degrees – didn’t make the work easy. To connect the panels to the grid, the electricians had to run underground conduit, which meant they needed to dig trenches. “It was a really flat terrain, and the heat and wind were tough to handle,” said Detroit Local 58 inside wireman Ben Burton, who was dispatched by L.C. Electric for the project. “We would use the solar arrays for shade, eating our lunch under them.”
Despite the sometimes rough conditions, the job came with its own unique perks. The base is home to the Thunderbirds, the Air Force’s demonstration squadron, and the workers were often treated to impromptu practice maneuvers by the squad.
The arrays have been fitted with rotating pedestals which automatically turn the 70,000 panels in the direction of the sun, giving the system 10 percent more energy efficiency. The gears are powered directly by solar energy.
“Seeing all these panels out in the desert, rotating on its own, was like watching something from the James Bond movie ‘Moonraker’,” Burton said.
In 2004, the local – with assistance from a grant from the Department of Energy – opened a photovoltaic training center in Las Vegas. More than 100 Local 357 members have gone through the program and the market share numbers shows that it was a good investment. Nearly 80 percent of all solar installation in Nevada is done by IBEW members, Jones said. And solar is an industry that is likely to see even stronger growth in the state.
The Nevada legislature recently passed a law that will require 20 percent of all the state’s energy to come from renewable resources, including 5 percent from solar, by 2015.
“With the push for green energy coming from both the government and industry, we are motivated to get even more of our apprentices and journeymen through the solar program,” said Jones, who was appointed last year to the state’s renewable energy and energy conservation task force.
“Our work has given the local a real level of respect with the green power industry,” Jones said. “The IBEW is becoming the go-to people for clean energy technology.”
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