Fuel Cell, Solar Panels Save Energy at Santa Rita
DUBLIN, CALIF. — A new fuel cell power plant, coupled with an extensive solar panel system, is capable of providing up to 80 percent of electricity needed at the Santa Rita Jail in Alameda County.
The power plant, which was dedicated in August and started producing energy last May, is the first megawatt-class fuel cell cogeneration plant in California and the second plant of its kind in the United States. It is located on-site behind the jail’s kitchen and also provides for the facility’s hot-water needs.