There’s an independent movie house in Southern California that uses the sun to spin its films. The Palm Theatre, in San Luis Obispo, CA has a 10-kilowatt solar electric system on its roof. The PV panels have been there since 2004 and are used to power the projectors for the cinema’s three theatres.
Another movie theatre, this time in Northern California, plans to turn one of its locations into a solar powered site. The Cinema West group has announced that it will convert its Fairfax 5 Theatre in Marin County to solar electric. Forty-two panels will be placed on top creating capacity to generate 27-kilowatts of electricity. Taking advantage of state and federal tax incentives and credits, Cinema West expects to recoup its investment in five years.
