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Radio Station K-TAO Broadcasts with Solar Power

Many companies are only now discovering the wonders of solar energy, but New Mexico radio station KTAO has been broadcasting with help from the sun since 1991. Read More

(Updated on July 24, 2024)

Many companies are only now discovering the wonders of solar energy, but New Mexico radio station KTAO has been broadcasting with help from the sun since 1991.

KTAO, which is the largest solar-powered radio station in the US, powers its auditory stream with 140 solar panels. The nearly mainentance-free solar array produces 100,000 watts of power. Each panel generates 32 kilowatts of electricity per day.

Power is stored in a battery bank which is housed in an “Earthship” made up of dirt-filled tires, aluminum cans, bottles, and cement.

In addition to its on-air efforts, KTAO also hosts a yearly solar-powered music festival, dubbed the Taos Solar Music Festival.

KTAO may be the largest solar-powered station, but it is by no means the only one. Radio stations KZMU (Moab, UT), WXRV (Boston, MA), and KIDE (Hoopa Valley, CA) also use solar energy to power their transmissions.

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