Powering Alcatraz Island’s Tourism

Powering Alcatraz Island’s Tourism

Alcatraz has always been cut off from the mainland, with no power lines. Today, its tourism business benefits from solar panels connected to a battery bank and power inverters that help power the island instead of relying solely on diesel generators.

The system has reduced the island’s fuel consumption by 45 percent since its 2012 installation. It also saves more than 25,000 gallons of diesel fuel a year.

There's a lot of room for growth in ... lead battery chemistry ... it's something that would really make it even more competitive for things like stationary storage.

Dr. Tim Fister, Materials Scientist, Argonne National Laboratory