I’ve posted about new billboard technology before, but this is so exciting! AzCentral reported today that construction begins this month on “Times Square’s first environmentally friendly billboard powered entirely by wind and sun.” It will be complete by the time the ball drops on New Year’s Eve.
It’s not the perfect solution — apparently it weighs a lot and may not be as flashy as the digital billboards Times Square is typically known for, but “powered by 16 wind turbines and 64 solar panels, the sign is expected to save $12,000 to $15,000 per month in electricity costs.” In addition, it will significantly reduce carbon emissions.
It’s great to see more major changes in the name of sustainability. Something like this billboard is obviously expensive, but will undoubtedly save money and the environment in the long run. Sometimes the things an individual can do to “go green” seem to have such a minor impact (and in many cases, are very difficult to do!) but when we have major corporations and universities taking action, the future seems much more promising.
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You mention that this billboard is more expensive. I am a free market kind of guy, but this is exactly why we need a governmental policy on sustainability. As long as their is a cheaper and dirtier alternative, few companies will have the wherewithall to go for the long haul. Even with saving $12,000 to $15,000 a month, it will take many months to recoup the extra cost. In 1982 our family bought a solar hot water heater for $1800. The cost to heat our water was $10 per month. So it would have taken us 15 years to recoup the extra expense. The US government gave us a tax credit of $1700, so it only took us 10 months. This is the kind of thing we need on a large scale. The cost of carbon emissions and assumption of cheap electricity in the future are not built into today’s supply/demand price-setting economics.