San Francisco Plans to Go Solar on All City Buildings - November 2001
Timecode 00:00:00
[Video: Anchor with square graphic of sun and solar panel that reads Solar Power to right side of her head]
NBC News Channel 11, Anchor, Terilyn Joe: Foggy San Francisco could soon become the solar capital of the world. The city wants to spend $100 million to put solar panels on all city buildings. Sandra Stricker introduces us to a homeowner who thinks the city is on the right track.
Timecode 00:00:17
[Video: Birdcage in foreground and woman putting a parrot into cage.]
Homeowner, Gretchen Cotter: In your cage. You're a good bird. Yes, you are.
Timecode 00:00:27
[Video: Parrot walking on his perch and chatting.]
NBC News Reporter, Sandra Stricker: Nip, the parrot is an energy hog.
Cotter: He's the guy that uses the electricity.
[Video: Space heater cut to Cotter’s electricity bill to close-up of Nip’s face]
Cotter’s parrot, Nip: Erruhh?
Reporter, Stricker (Voiceover): Nip wants his electric heater on 24/7 and yet Cotter’s electric bill last month was just $4.67.
Timecode 00:00:43
Cotter: As I said, I've got a $4 electric bill. That works, that works for me.
Timecode 00:00:48
[Video: Side-view angle of solar panels, cut to front view of solar panels and shot of solar converter to a lcd screen of energy usage; cut to close-up of electric meter and zoom out to Stricker next to meter]
Reporter, Stricker (Voiceover): Cotter installed solar panel from the roof of her Mission district home and a basement converter funnels any excess power to the state grid.
[Video: Stricker holding garage remote pan to garage door opening and pan back to Stricker to quick zoom in to the electricity meter]
Reporter, Stricker: : Gretchen Cotter’s meter actually runs backwards because she produces more energy than she's using. Now if I use her electric genie to open the garage door, you can see that the meter is slowly going forwards a bit, meaning that she's using more energy.
Timecode 00:01:17
Homeowner, Tyler: As long as I have the meter turning backwards as much as it turns forward, I have a zero bill.
Timecode 00:01:21
[Video: Close-up of woman wearing glasses, cut to Mark Leno, San Francisco Board of Supervisors (at the time), and cut to close-up of Cotter at the podium currently speaking to the Board of Supervisors]
Cotter: The proposal to put solar panels on city owned property is so obvious, it's a no brainer.
Timecode 00:01:27
[Video: Wide shot of Cotter at podium speaking, cut to close-up shot of lines in solar panel to wider shot of solar panels]
Reporter, Stricker (Voiceover}: Cotter was one of dozens of people today who testified at a public hearing on Solarizing city buildings. She also thinks the city should subsidize homeowners to convert to solar, too.
Timecode 00:01:38
Cotter: Right now, solar is not financially attractive to the average homeowner.
Timecode 00:01:43
[Video: Close up of lines in solar panel cut to sun in sky above corner of building, cut to light switch on wall and to close up of chandelier lights]
Reporter, Stricker (Voiceover}: : It costs Cotter $25,000 to install solar in their house, if cities like San Francisco start using it in all public buildings, she thinks the price will come down and more people will be able to keep their lights on.
[Video: Close up side view of Nip, the parrot]
Nip, Parrot: See you later alligator.
<p>Timecode 00:01:59 </p>
[Video: View from a low angle of Nip on branch next to Cotter in their home]
Reporter, Stricker (Voiceover}: In San Francisco, Sandra Stricker, News Channel 11.
[VIDEO: Fade to black.]