Palm Springs, CA - Palm Springs Press-Enterprise:
Palm Springs' solar-powered trash compactors raise awareness...
May 6, 2007 10:00 PM
Creative solar energy projects are taking root under the hot desert sun, with cities and companies proposing to power everything from trash compactors to a supermarket to an entire luxury development using the sun's rays.
The most noticeable, and perhaps the mascot, of the projects is the BigBelly, a solar-powered trash compactor that Palm Springs installed downtown at the end of April. The city is testing four compactors, which use the sun's energy to compress garbage into handy 40-pound bricks, cutting down on trash collection along with manpower and carbon emissions...