An Abilene AEP office installed an array of solar panels at
their location just last year. While one crucial component had
to be replaced recently, it has since been working at full
capacity. The solar panels are designed to turn on and generate
electricity as soon as the sun rises, helping lower electricity
costs to the customers. "What we've noticed over the last year,
since we started investigating putting this system in, the
prices have come down dramatically. That really is due to the
acceptance by the public," says Energy Efficiency Program
Manager Gary Throckmorton. "Solar panels are being installed
more frequently than they were five years ago. " The purpose of
the panels is to provide electricity to power the AEP building,
so that their energy consumption could be taken off the grid and
provided to customers.